By Friday Obande
Governor of Benue State, Hyancinth Alia, has blamed the consistent attacks by suspected herdsmen and militia groups on politicians and unnamed members of the National Assembly, whom he accused as sponsors of the violent attacks in the state.
Benue State has been on the spotlight of prevalent attacks since the start of the year, with hundreds killed in violent attacks in several communities.
The governor while venting his anger, spoke hard on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, saying an interim report of a judicial panel he set up, showed that politicians were orchestrating the attacks.
He said his administration would take decisive action once the full report of the panel is presented in the coming week; adding that the attacks are partly beyond herder-farmer clashes, adding that the state is currently under siege from bandits.
“We set up a judicial panel to sort out for us why we kept having attacks from within and from without and we have received an interim report. Between Tuesday and Wednesday next week, I am going to get a full report from the panel.
“It is very unsettling because some politicians who are very functional, and are in the national assembly, and are in Abuja, are the architects and arrowheads of not just instigating but harbouring and keeping these people; keeping them in the bushes and taking care of all their bills and buying all the gadgets for them.
“This is extremely unacceptable. If they do not like the lives of the people and are fighting for their own political position, I think I am serving the interest of the common masses and it is my right to protect them.
“We are under siege, the way these attacks come and the intel we receive, it is a directed, calibrated plan and then executed,” Alia added.
