..says state govt has deployed several strategies to tackle insecurity, criminality
By Peter Duru, Makurdi
Benue State Government says the state has witnessed tremendous improvement in security after the visit of President Bola Tinubu following the Yelewata attack that claimed over 200 lives.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Internal Security, Chief Joseph Har, made this known while replying the former Commissioner for Education, Prof. Dennis Ityavyar, who recently claimed that Governor Hyacinth Alia was a monumental disaster with no capacity to govern.
Chief Har, who hails from the same Mbaakon community as Prof. Ityavyar, said it was important to educate the former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of the grand strides Governor Alia had recorded in the area of security since assuming office two years ago.
He said: Maybe Prof. Ityavyar misunderstood the role of the Governor to include carrying the rifle to confront the enemy himself otherwise he would have noticed the very efforts made to douse the rot that was created hitherto in Benue state that witnessed bloodbath in the state in 11 Local Government Areas, LGAs, namely; Ukum, Logo, Katsina Ala, Guma, Makurdi, Gwer West, Gwer East, Agatu, Apa, Kwande and Otukpo.
The efforts of this administration first reduced this menace to nine LGAs and later to four and all the tremendous improvement that took place after the visit of the President of Nigeria arent noticed by the Prof. Ityavyar is rather most unfortunate.
According to him Since assuming office in May 2023, Governor Alia has taken bold and proactive steps to address the complex security challenges facing Benue State, particularly the persistent threats of banditry, armed herders, communal clashes, and criminal gangs.
Some of these efforts includes strengthened collaboration with federal security agencies, including Operation Whirl Stroke, to repel attacks and restore peace in troubled areas.
The Establishment of community policing initiatives and vigilante reforms to improve grassroots intelligence gathering and early response through the act of state parliament to merge the Volunteer and Livestock guards to form the Benue State Civil Protection Guards with robust standard operating procedures, SOPs which many now refer to as the Benue model.
The timely support to displaced communities, including return strategies and food/security interventions for Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, has been the priority of this administration witnessed in Agatu, Kwande, Guma Agatu, Makurdi and others should not have escaped his notice. I therefore challenge him to state anywhere in Benue that there was an attack and the governor did not go either himself or through the representation of the Deputy Governor or any of us, his security Advisers.
I am suspecting that the Professor is even unaware of the sustainable development efforts that led to the establishment of the mega IDP camp on Gbajimba road and the supply of farming inputs to the people for modest farming?
The Deployment of modern surveillance tools beginning in the state capital and reinforcement of military (the Naval base, additional Army battalions, Mopol squadrons etc) and paramilitary presence in Benue state received wide media coverage that only those with ulterior motives will not notice.
These interventions have reduced the frequency and scale of attacks in previously volatile LGAs such as Guma, Gwer West, Katsina Ala, Logo, Ukum, Gwer West, Agatu, Makurdi, Apa, and Kwande. Governor Alias administration is not claiming perfection, but the trajectory is clear: we are securing Benue with focus, determination, and sincerity of purpose.
The Security Adviser insisted that Prof. Ityavyars blanket assertion of failure did a disservice to the efforts of security personnel, local stakeholders, and the people of Benue who continue to work with the government in building a safer state.
While we welcome constructive criticism, we reject outright any attempt to misinform the public or score political points at the expense of truth and public morale, he said.
He disclosed that the government had deployed various strategies to fight crimes and criminality in the state, emphasising that the Governor Alia-led administration remains committed to protecting all Benue citizens, and will not be distracted by unfounded claims from individuals who seem more interested in political noise than collective progress.
