By Obinna Uballa
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has dismissed claims that Christians are being targeted for extermination in the state, insisting that while insecurity exists, it does not amount to genocide.
Speaking at a public event on Wednesday, as captured in a video circulating online, the governor, who is also a Catholic priest, underscored that his moral and religious convictions guide his approach to governance.
“I am a Reverend Father. Being in governance does not take that away from me. I am still a Reverend Father. I came in as a governor as a Reverend Father. I work with the fear of God and the compassion of Christianity and humanity, and at the end of the day, I return to the church as a Reverend Father and a Christian,” he said.
Alia clarified that Benue State is not witnessing any form of religious, ethnic, racial, national, or state genocide. “In my state of Benue, we do not have any religious, ethnic, racial, national, or state genocide. Do we have insecurity in the state? Yes, but it is not a genocide,” he added.
The governor’s remarks come amid heightened national discourse on insecurity and reports of targeted attacks on communities across Nigeria.
