Benue Unrest: Tinubu Holds Talks With Alia, Akume on Restoring Peace

Benue Unrest: Tinubu Holds Talks With Alia, Akume on Restoring Peace

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu recently met with him and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, to discuss strategies for ending the ongoing violence in the state.

Alia made the revelation during an interview on Monday.

The governor said Tinubu convened the meeting to help bring an end to the violence in Benue.

“President Tinubu is not wrong to ask us to find common ground for peace.

“He invited the SGF and me because of what he was hearing from the public. He wanted to know if there was any issue between us,” Alia explained.

He clarified that there is no rift between him and Akume, who is a former governor of the state.

“The SGF himself said there are no differences between us.

Governor Hyacinth Alia assured that any previous issues have been addressed, and moving forward, peace will prevail. “Our traditional rulers can now sleep peacefully,” he added.

He attributed the persistent violence in Benue to external influences, saying, “What we’re dealing with is a complex situation driven and funded from outside. While we can manage local government-level issues, the real challenge lies with armed outsiders invading our communities with AK-47 and AK-49 rifles.”

Alia also dismissed suggestions that the Federal Government has neglected the state. “If President Tinubu didn’t understand the situation, he wouldn’t be giving us his full backing,” he stated.

He pointed to significant progress made in reclaiming affected areas: “Out of 23 local government areas, 17 were once under siege.

We’ve brought that number down to nine, then six, and now just three. That progress is thanks to the Federal Government’s support.”