Comrade Daniel Onjeh, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Benue South Senatorial District, has urged members of the National Assembly and some media outlets to avoid the error of misrepresenting the recent statements made by Governor Hyacinth Alia regarding the sponsors of insecurity in Benue State.

In a statement released on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, Onjeh clarified the Governor’s position during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today aired on Friday, June 6.

According to Onjeh, Governor Alia’s comments have been taken out of context by political opponents and mischief-makers seeking to weaponise the worsening security situation in the state for political gain.

He explained that there are two broad forms of banditry afflicting Benue State, distinguishing between the activities of indigenous criminal gangs and those of foreign militias with expansionist motives.

Explaining further, Comrade Onjeh stated that the first category—indigenous banditry—comprises remnants of a network of deadly criminal gangs that were originally formed by a now-deceased local militia leader.

These groups, still active in flashpoints in the state, continue to wreak havoc across various communities.

It was this type of banditry, he insisted, that Governor Alia was referencing when he alleged that some members of the National Assembly were sponsoring violence in the state.

The second type, Onjeh clarified, involves foreign militias—believed to be of Fulani extraction—who are engaged in calculated attacks aimed at displacing native populations and occupying ancestral lands.

This more insidious threat, he argued, has taken on the characteristics of terrorism and poses an existential risk not only to Benue but also to other parts of the Middle Belt.

Comrade Onjeh strongly condemned attempts by political adversaries of Governor Alia to twist his comments into an indictment of the entire National Assembly or to give them an ethnic or religious colouration.

He called on all well-meaning Benue citizens to rise above politics and rally behind the Governor in confronting the deepening security crisis.

According to him, security should be a collective concern and not a platform for scoring cheap political points.

He further condemned what he described as a desperate ploy by some detractors of the Alia administration, who recently approached certain religious leaders to canvass support for a declaration of a state of emergency in Benue State under the pretext of worsening insecurity.

Onjeh dismissed this move as a calculated strategy to destabilise the government following their resounding defeat at the Local Government Election Appeal Panel, which upheld the election of all 23 local government chairmen and councillors under the APC-led government.

“They lost the legal and political battle at the Appeal Panel, and now they are cooking up another diabolical scheme to unseat Governor Alia through the back door,” Onjeh declared.

“First, they tried and failed to hijack the Benue State House of Assembly by imposing a puppet Speaker. Then they lobbied the National Assembly to withhold statutory allocations to Benue’s LGAs, and failed again.

“They also attempted to manipulate the judiciary in a bid to wrest control of the local governments from the Alia administration and failed woefully.

“Now, they want to create chaos and plunge the state into crisis, hoping to justify a state of emergency that would remove the Governor from office. But like every other plot before, this one too will fail.”

Onjeh admitted that Benue is indeed under siege from criminal elements, many of whom are part of transnational terrorist and militia networks.

He emphasised that regardless of whether the perpetrators are indigenous or foreign, they have enablers within local communities—individuals who provide them with food, shelter, medical supplies, intelligence, and logistical support.

Some of these collaborators, he noted, may have political affiliations or ambitions and may be using insecurity as a tool to destabilise the state government for selfish ends.

He commended Governor Alia for setting up a judicial panel to investigate the root causes of the insecurity and for his forthrightness in publicly disclosing some of the findings in the panel’s interim report.

According to Onjeh, the final report, expected in the coming days, will unmask the real enemies of the people and vindicate the Governor’s position that some of the sponsors of the violence are entrenched within the corridors of power.

Onjeh also used the opportunity to call on the National Assembly to pass stronger, more decisive legislation against banditry and terrorism.

“We cannot continue with this weak, reactive approach to national security. I call on the National Assembly to urgently enact laws that prescribe capital punishment or life imprisonment for anyone convicted of banditry or terrorism,” he said.

“This will not only deter the criminals in the forests but also those in the cities who sponsor and bankroll their activities.”

He lamented the trend of arrested terror suspects being released almost immediately after their apprehension, thereby discouraging whistleblowers and citizens who might have vital information on the criminals.

Citing the example of Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, who recently criticised the judiciary and security agencies for this very issue, Onjeh said such practices erode public trust and undermine the entire security architecture of the country.

“The fear of reprisals from released criminals discourages community members from volunteering actionable intelligence to the security agencies. This must stop,” he said.

“Security agencies must show patriotism and diligence in investigating and prosecuting cases of banditry and kidnapping. Maximum convictions will send a clear message and restore confidence in the justice system.”

In conclusion, Comrade Onjeh reiterated his call for restraint and responsibility in public discourse, urging media outlets and politicians to desist from deliberately misinterpreting Governor Alia’s comments.

He said that the Governor has demonstrated courageous leadership in confronting a deadly and complex crisis and deserves the full support of the people of Benue.

“Our state is under siege. This is no time for divisive politics or sensational headlines. I call on all well-meaning citizens of Benue State to stand solidly behind Governor Alia as he continues the important task of safeguarding our lives and developing our state. Together, we will overcome these challenges,” Onjeh said.