From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has accused some religious leaders, whom he described as “religious bandits,” of fueling insecurity in the state.
Governor Alia stated this on Thursday while addressing a mammoth crowd who hailed him during the June 12 Solidarity March in Government House in Makurdi, the state capital.
He has therefore cautioned them to shut up and quit spreading the wrong narratives and allow peace to return to the state.
Alia said, “There are some acclaimed leaders who only fan the embers of discord so that peace does not return here.
“There are some religious leaders, I call them religious bandits, who are fueling the bad experiences we are having here. By their own rhetorics, by what they speak; if you don’t have the facts on Benue and Nigeria, shut up! Don’t just say something because you have the holy altars or the podium to speak.
“Speak what you know, speak what can be verified, and speak what you represent and stand for always.
“Let this day be a sovereign moment for us all at the same time. It’s not yet uhuru for us. We are still burying our dead who were killed unprovoked. It is not just a hope but with very deepened efforts that we take out the total menace of this carnage and killings.
“We will never rest on our oars to ensure that total peace returns to Benue beyond the six local government areas that are on the frontline of insecurity.
“I’m confident that with the support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gives to us, we are going to get done with insecurity completely in Benue State. Our traditional rulers and a good number of our rulers, including some religious leaders, are also marching and fighting with us for peace to return in the state.”
While he noted that the Benue people are suffering so much, Alia pledged to ensure that total peace returns to Benue, saying, “Their sorrow is our sorrow, to those of us who have chosen and taken an oath to defend them, protect them, and to bring back peace. I’m inviting all of us, all the good people in the state, as we reflect on this great day, as we celebrate those who have fought for Nigeria today, let our conscience remind us that what unites is bigger than what divides us.”