Gov Alia Reads Riot Acts to Bandits, Says Terrorists Won’t be Tolerated in Benue Anymore

George Okoh in Makurdi

Benue State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, has declared that his administration had exhausted the elasticity of its patience with the armed bandits hiding in forests and consistently disrupting the peace of the people of the Sankera axis of the state, saying he would no longer guarantee the olive branch he severally extended to them in the past.

The governor, who expressed sadness over the recent events that happened in the Ukum Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, which left his government with no choice but to declare a curfew in the area, said he would not sit back and allow anyone or a group to frustrate the peace of the state and destabilise his government.

Alia stated this during a live broadcast to the people of the state at the weekend.
Gunmen had on Tuesday night attacked Ayati village in Ukum LGA, killing six people.
This led to a peaceful protest in Zaki-Biam on Wednesday, which gave room for hoodlums to destroy several properties.
The governor, who described the killings as senseless, extended his sympathies to the families of the victims of the attacks, assuring the people of the local government area that he had listened to their cries.

“I assure you that I have listened. The mayhem caused by these heinous acts of violence has not gone unnoticed, and I stand with you in condemning these atrocities. Full military intervention has been ordered in the area,” he added.
He said he had already sent his deputy, Mr. Sam Ode, who had visited Ukum LGA to carry out an on-the-spot assessment of the scenes of destruction, insisting that the destruction of the public property only served to compound the challenges and divert resources that would have been used to address the root causes of the crisis.

“Let me emphasise that while we empathise with the pain and frustration felt, we must channel our energies towards constructive actions. Destruction of public property and chaos only serve to compound our challenges and divert resources that could be better used to address the root causes of these issues.”
The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all the residents of the state, disclosing that he had intensified efforts, collaborating with the security agencies, to bring the perpetrators of violent and criminal acts in the state to justice.

He promised that in the coming days, his government would set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the mayhem in Ukum, adding that more actions would be taken to demonstrate his unwavering commitment to bring the retrogressive activities in the area to a total end.
Governor Alia, however, appealed to the good people of Sankera and its environs to remain calm and exercise restraint, urging them to work together with his government to rebuild and restore peace in their communities, especially as he was committed to addressing their concerns with urgency and diligence.