Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has renewed his call for the immediate creation of state police in Nigeria, arguing that the current centralised security system has failed to effectively address persistent attacks and killings in various parts of the country, particularly in Benue.
Governor Alia made the appeal while receiving the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who was in the state to sympathise with residents affected by ongoing violent attacks.
The visit was confirmed in a statement issued by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula.
In his remarks, the governor emphasized the need for a regional strategy on ranching, urging the First Lady to advocate for the domestication of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law across the North Central zone.
He stressed the importance of a decentralised, locally-managed policing system to strengthen security, improve intelligence gathering, and ensure swift responses in vulnerable communities.
“The current security architecture has not proven sufficient in curbing the incessant attacks on our communities,” Alia said.
“It is time for Nigeria to embrace State Police as a practical and necessary step towards securing lives, property, and peace across the nation.”
He added that uniform implementation of anti-open grazing laws in the region would help prevent armed herders from exploiting weak enforcement in neighboring states. The governor revealed that Benue is currently hosting over 1.5 million Internally Displaced Persons across various camps and communities, with new camps recently established in Makurdi and Naka due to fresh attacks.
Governor Alia praised the First Lady for her ongoing support through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), which he said had brought meaningful assistance to women, youth, traders, and vulnerable groups in the state.
“The people of Benue State are sincerely grateful. Your visit is not just symbolic; it is impactful and healing,” the governor added.
During her visit, Mrs. Tinubu extended her condolences to Governor Alia, the Tor Tiv, and the people of the state, especially over the recent killings at Yelewata. She announced a donation of N1 billion to aid the reconstruction and resettlement of families displaced by the attacks attributed to armed herders.
