Dangerous compromise: Iortyom slams Gov. Alia over northern security deal

Prospective governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, Chief Bemgba Iortyom, has condemned the inclusion of Benue in the recently announced Northern Security Arrangement, describing it as “a dangerous compromise and a betrayal of the state’s safety and interests.”

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Iortyom said the initiative—which mandates the 19 northern states to remit **N1 billion monthly** into a regional security trust fund—was a ploy that would further expose Benue to danger rather than protect it.

According to him, Governor Hyacinth Alia lacks the credibility and sincerity required to commit Benue to such a regional security pact, insisting that the governor has consistently refused genuine offers of help to tackle insecurity, including one from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Iortyom accused the governor of working in the interest of “external forces hostile to Benue people,” alleging that Alia’s policies have directly contributed to the worsening security crisis in the state. He cited the suspension of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, the disbandment of the Livestock Guards, and the alleged influx of armed herders as consequences of the governor’s decisions.

He also criticised what he described as the under-reporting of killings by herders under the Alia administration, saying the governor downplays massacres as “mere skirmishes” despite repeated public claims of responsibility by the attackers.

On the proposed creation of state police, Iortyom warned that such a structure in the hands of the governor would become “a weapon of mass destruction.”

He accused Alia of promoting thuggery, intolerance, and political intimidation, citing incidents where loyalists chanting “No Alia, No Benue” disrupted public events and harassed perceived opponents.

The PDP chieftain further faulted the governor’s call for a ban on mining activities in the North, calling it hypocritical. He alleged that illegal mining has flourished in Benue, especially in the Kwande axis, under state-sanctioned supervision despite Alia’s public posture.

Iortyom maintained that the Northern Security Trust Fund does not serve the true interests of Benue people and warned that the state’s resources must not be committed to it. He urged citizens to reject the initiative “in totality,” insisting that the governor has neither the will nor the track record to guarantee the safety of lives and property.

“Governor Alia is more comfortable working with the enemies of Benue people than with the people themselves,” he said. “Benue’s security cannot be entrusted to such an arrangement.”

He called on the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to reconsider the security framework and ensure that state-specific solutions are prioritised.

Chief Bemgba Iortyom is aspiring to contest the 2027 governorship election under the PDP.