MAKURDI, Nigeria – Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has clarified that recent killings in the state lack religious motivation, describing attempts to frame the violence as religiously motivated as “misleading and harmful.”
The Governor’s statement came during a weekend meeting with Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, where he emphasized that the attacks originated as farmer-herder conflicts before escalating into banditry and terrorism. He stressed that both Muslims and Christians have suffered casualties in the violence.
Governor Alia also addressed his previous controversial comments, explaining that his use of the phrase “executing their plans religiously” was an idiomatic expression meaning “consistently” rather than having any religious connotation. He urged journalists to avoid politicizing the tragedy and amplifying misinterpretations of the situation.
—
Disclaimer for CDA News
This article reports on official statements from the Benue State Governor regarding ongoing security challenges. The characterization of the conflict represents the governor’s perspective. CDA News presents this as part of the ongoing discourse on Nigeria’s security situation.
© 2025 CDA News. All rights reserved.
