Benue State Governor, Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia, has warned that the state is facing a strategic and deadly assault from armed groups backed by foreign forces. According to the governor, these attackers are no longer just local herders but heavily armed insurgents targeting the state for territorial control.

In an interview with ARISE News, Alia described the violence as a calculated siege on the state. "We are under siege," he stated, explaining that the attackers now arrive without livestock, but armed with military-grade weapons like AK-47s and AK-49s. They launch carefully planned attacks on rural communities, killing residents and occupying the land before disappearing for a time, only to return with reinforcements to settle in the captured areas.

The governor also suggested that the assailants are likely foreign mercenaries, saying they neither speak any Nigerian languages nor appear to be Nigerians themselves. “They wear similar clothing, hide in the bushes, and then strike when least expected,” Alia said.

Despite the state’s efforts to bolster security by providing 100 Hilux trucks and 600 motorbikes to security agencies, the governor admitted that the scale of the threat has overwhelmed local forces. "This is a military-style invasion. Our resources cannot cope with it,” he said.

Alia also revealed that, when he assumed office nearly two years ago, almost all of Benue’s 23 local government areas were under attack. Though security efforts had reduced the number of affected areas, six are now facing renewed violence. "Our people are desperate to defend themselves, but the situation is worsening," he added.

The governor also accused certain political figures of manipulating the crisis for personal gain, claiming they remain distant from the violence while spreading misleading narratives. “They are far removed from the reality of what is happening on the ground,” Alia said.

In his closing remarks, Alia called for urgent national and international intervention, saying, “We need immediate help to stop this siege. Our security forces are overwhelmed.” He also called on security agencies to investigate those assisting the attackers, vowing to release their identities publicly once uncovered.

Benue’s ongoing security crisis is raising alarms across Nigeria, with the conflict escalating beyond local disputes into a larger insurgency-like situation.