Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has fired back at Prof Chidi Odinkalu over his recent comments on the killings in Benue.
Odinkalu had, in a post on his X handle, said Governor Alia should return to the seminary or seek re-education for claiming those behind the killings in Benue State are Hausa speakers from Mali.
Reacting, Alia described his comment as insensitive and unhelpful to the plight of victims of ongoing attacks in the state.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, on Saturday, Alia said that at a time when Benue people are suffering from relentless terrorist attacks, what is needed is empathy and collective action, not performative criticism.
“It will be more rational if the focus remains on the plight of the people suffering from these unprovoked terrorist attacks, rather than on sneering at the governor and his approaches,” the statement said.
Alia reaffirmed his administration’s acknowledgment of the limitations faced in addressing the security crisis, stressing that federal security agencies remain overstretched.
He noted that his government has consistently provided logistics and support, while also naming criminal elements among Fulani herders, without generalizing or stoking ethnic tensions.
“It is a statement of fact that the attacks are primarily carried out by criminal herders. As a well-educated priest, Governor Alia discerns the pitfalls of generalization,” Kula said.
“Stereotyping a whole ethnic group does not generate solutions to the crisis at hand.”
The governor stressed that whether the attackers are from Mali, Niger, or elsewhere, the pressing issue is the urgent humanitarian crisis in Benue, where thousands have been displaced and many lives lost.
Alia expressed disappointment that respected personalities like Odinkalu, instead of standing in solidarity with victims, have chosen the path of “vindictive criticisms” that only distract from the real issues.
“What truly matters is healing, support, and practical solutions for those affected,” he said.
He called on all Nigerians and the international community to focus on helping the victims and supporting efforts to end the bloodshed, rather than engaging in divisive rhetoric.