Makurdi, April 23, 2025 — Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has blamed the spate of deadly attacks in the state on foreign mercenaries, claiming the perpetrators are armed herders from Mali rather than indigenous Nigerian Fulani.
Speaking during a live appearance on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, Alia said the attackers responsible for the killings in parts of Benue do not speak Nigerian dialects and bear no resemblance to known local herders.
“These are not our people. They may look like Fulani, but they are not Nigerians,” the governor asserted. “Even the Hausa they speak is different. It’s not the normal Hausa we hear across Nigeria. There is a trend in their language, and our people who understand them say they are Malians.”
Governor Alia said traditional herders in Nigeria are known and easily identifiable, often moving with their cattle and sticks. However, he noted that the current attackers are heavily armed with automatic weapons such as AK-47s and AK-49s.
“They come in fully armed, not with cattle or sticks, but with weapons. That is not herding — that is invasion,” Alia said.
Benue State has come under repeated attacks in recent months, with local governments like Otukpo, Ado, and Logo experiencing violent incursions believed to be carried out by armed herders. Dozens of villagers have been killed and displaced, fueling growing insecurity and fear in rural areas.
The governor’s statement reinforces widespread concerns over Nigeria’s porous borders and the alleged infiltration of armed foreign elements into local conflicts.
Alia called for urgent federal intervention to tackle the security challenges and prevent further loss of lives and displacement of farming communities in the state.
