Nigerian Concord Newspaper
Benue Defenders, an Independent security network in Benue state has challenged critics of the State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia to provide proofs that the governor has been receiving N3.6 Billion monthly for Security Vote as they alleged in a newspaper report yesterday.
The group which spoke in a press statement issued this morning through its Director of Press, Comrade Janet Adejor stated that the ‘baseless’ accusation is coming as a result of the leadership tussle between Governor Alia and Senator George Akume over the refusal of the governor to share the resources of the state with the “so-called” Benue APC stakeholders.
According to the group, there is no state governor that can take as much as N3.6B for a monthly security vote except for the Oil-riched South-South states. “So it’s a big lie that Alia is taking such monthly” the statement said.
The group said an allegation has been made so the accusers should substantiate what they have accused the governor of doing by providing convincing evidence if there is any.
Benue Defenders berated a part of the story which said that Father Hyacinth Alia was the one behind Fulani killings in Benue state, noting that Fulani herders had been killing innocent Benue people since the time of Senator George Akume himself as governor of the state.
The group wondered why the same Senator George Akume is now the one that is using his media handlers to accuse the governor of being behind insecurity in the state.
The statement said: “Dennis Agema who authored the report is directly working for the SGF and we expect him to ask his sponsor why he was unable to use his influence as the Minister for Special Duties being the closest to the then President, Muhammadu Buhari to stop Fulani killings in the state.
“The author of the baseless accusation should ask why Akume was always supporting Fulani herdsmen in Benue state during the reigns of the last administration despite that the then governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom was on top of his voice that the marauders were planning to take Benue’s lands.
“The author should ask himself why the people of Zone B refused to vote for Senator George Akume in 2019 if not because he openly said on a National Television that it wasn’t the Fulani herdsmen that were killing the Tiv people but the Tiv people themselves’
Benue Defenders also challenged the accuser to provide proofs that the Fulani herders association gave N7 Billion to the governor through Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for his election in 2023.
“That is a blatant lie so we urge them to bring a proof that it actually happened. In our record, a former State Publicity Secretary of the state APC, Mr. Dan Morgan was the one that orchestrated how some Cameroonian fighters entered the state through Kwande waterway two months ago but thanks to the vigilant youths of the community who intercepted them and destroyed the ten caskets with which they brought weapons into the state” the group said.