Benue Killings: Ortom Slams Alia, Falana Demands Prosecution

As public anger mounts over the worsening violence in Benue State, former Governor Samuel Ortom has accused his successor, Governor Hyacinth Alia, of politicising security matters and neglecting President Bola Tinubu’s proposed peace strategy.

Meanwhile, prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has criticised both the federal and state governments for their failure to prosecute individuals arrested in connection with a string of deadly attacks in the state.

Ortom, in a statement issued by his media aide Terver Akase in Makurdi, responded to comments from Alia’s spokesperson, Kula Tersoo.

Tersoo had claimed that under Ortom’s administration, Benue State recorded the highest number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in its history, with over four million people driven from their homes a figure he said reflected the failure of Ortom’s security approach.

However, Ortom dismissed these claims, insisting that the same verified figure of 1.5 million IDPs he handed over to Alia in 2023 is what the current administration still uses.

The former governor warned his successor against politicising the security crisis ravaging the state.

“Armed herdsmen are killing our people like animals. Downplaying the scale of the attacks by concealing the casualty figures, understating the number of displaced persons, or describing the violence as mere communal clashes will not solve the problem,” Ortom said.

He accused Alia of sending conflicting narratives about the killings.

“At one time, the governor claims the attackers are foreigners; next, he says it’s reprisals because Fulani cows were rustled and sold in wheelbarrows. Then he blames so-called ‘Abuja politicians’ as the sponsors. Recently, he accused clergymen of being ‘religious bandits’ responsible for the violence.

“This inconsistency shows either a lack of understanding of the security situation or a deliberate attempt to mislead the public,” Ortom stated.

He urged the governor to begin implementing the security roadmap provided by President Tinubu during his recent visit to the state.

“It’s been five days since the President visited and offered concrete recommendations to address insecurity, yet the governor appears reluctant to act,” Ortom added.

The former governor also advised Alia to grant full autonomy to the 23 local governments in the state to better manage security and development efforts at the grassroots level.

“Thanks to the removal of fuel subsidy in 2023 and the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on local government autonomy, allocations to LGAs have increased by 400 per cent, similar to state-level allocations.

“The governor should respect the Supreme Court ruling and allow the councils to control their own resources.

“The local governments have been crying out, the State House of Assembly has passed multiple resolutions urging the governor to release the funds, but all appeals have been ignored,” Ortom said.

In a separate statement on Sunday, Femi Falana condemned the authorities’ inaction in prosecuting those arrested for attacks in Benue.

“It is obvious that the suspected killers in Benue State are being treated as sacred cows,” Falana stated.

He urged the Benue State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Fidelis Mnyim, to immediately commence the prosecution of all suspects in custody.

Falana expressed concern that despite numerous arrests linked to previous attacks, no meaningful legal action had followed.

He cited police records showing that on December 30, 2024, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hassan Yabanet, announced the arrest of 273 suspects for capital offences, along with the recovery of 20 firearms and 51 rounds of ammunition.

Falana also referenced a police operation on January 11, 2024, which uncovered an illegal arms factory in the state, leading to the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of nine locally fabricated pistols, an unfinished AK-47 rifle, and various tools used for arms manufacturing.

Additionally, he noted that on April 17, 2025, Governor Alia confirmed the arrest of three herdsmen linked to an attack that killed 11 people in Otobi, Otukpo Local Government Area.

In another incident on June 19, 2025, three suspected kidnappers were arrested by Community Volunteer Guards at Otukpo Motor Park with ransom money believed to be proceeds from their crimes.

“Between January and June 2025 alone, dozens of dangerous criminal suspects have been arrested by the police. In the past 10 days, at least 43 suspected killers have been taken into custody,” Falana said.

Despite these arrests, he lamented the absence of prosecutions, describing the situation as unacceptable.

Falana also criticised the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for blaming the residents of Yelwata for allegedly harbouring the attackers. He described the remark as a diversionary tactic that unfairly blames victims for government failures.

Meanwhile, the Alago Ikweyi Gbayi Development Union in Nasarawa State has called on President Tinubu to direct the National Boundary Commission to physically demarcate the boundary between Nasarawa and Benue states.

The group believes that clear demarcation would help curb the persistent armed attacks in the region.

The appeal was made in a statement jointly signed by the union’s President, Mohammed Oshafu, and its Publicity Secretary, Hassan Ozegya, and made available to journalists in Lafia on Sunday.

The group’s demand follows similar concerns raised by the Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, during President Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue State regarding the security challenges facing border communities such as Yelwata.