EDITORIAL: Herdsmen Attacks: When Will Governor Alia Visit Benue South?

For the people of Benue South, the question is becoming louder by the day: When will Governor Hyacinth Alia visit the communities devastated by the relentless attacks of suspected armed herdsmen?

For months, communities across Zone C have lived under the shadow of fear. Villages have been attacked, homes razed, farmlands abandoned and innocent lives cut short. Families continue to bury their loved ones, while many survivors have been displaced from the only homes they have ever known.

Yet, despite the scale of the tragedy, the governor has not personally visited many of the affected communities in Benue South.

Instead, the responsibility of conveying the government’s sympathy has largely fallen on the shoulders of the Deputy Governor, Dr. Sam Ode.

While the deputy deserves commendation for responding on behalf of the administration, there are moments in governance when only the presence of the chief executive can send the message that government truly stands with its people.

Leadership is not exercised only from Government House. It is demonstrated by standing with citizens in their darkest moments.

Barely 24 hours after more than 20 people were reportedly killed in Otukpo-Nobi and neighbouring communities, videos circulated on social media showing Governor Alia attending a public event in Abuja where they were dancing the traditional Swange.

Rather than seeing the governor arrive to comfort grieving families, assess the destruction and reassure frightened residents, the government announced a ₦5 million relief donation through the deputy governor.

The community rejected the offer.

Their rejection was not necessarily about money. It reflected a deeper frustration. To many residents, what they seek is not financial relief but protection. They want to know when the killings will stop. They want those responsible arrested and prosecuted. Above all, they want to feel that their government hears their cries.

The symbolism matters.

Benue people have seen Governor Alia attend funerals, weddings, thanksgiving services and other public engagements in different parts of the state. That naturally raises questions among many in Benue South about why communities repeatedly attacked by armed assailants have yet to receive a personal visit from their governor.

Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, has repeatedly alleged that Benue South is being neglected by the present administration. Whether or not one agrees with that accusation, perceptions matter in politics. Every day the governor stays away from grieving communities, those perceptions grow stronger.

A governor belongs equally to every local government, every ethnic group and every community in the state. The pain of a farmer in Otukpo should weigh just as heavily as the pain of a trader in Gboko or a family in Vandeikya.

Benue South does not need press statements alone. Condemnations issued from Makurdi after every attack have become predictable. What the people now seek are visible leadership, stronger security coordination, concrete action against the perpetrators and genuine reassurance that no part of Benue has been abandoned.

Governor Alia still has the opportunity to change that narrative.

A visit to the affected communities will not bring back those who have lost their lives. But it would demonstrate empathy, reassure frightened citizens and reaffirm that every Benue life matters equally.

The people of Benue South are not asking for special treatment.

They are asking for equal treatment.

And until they receive it, one question will continue to echo across Idoma land:

When will Governor Hyacinth Alia come to Benue South?

— Idoma Voice Editorial, July 14, 2026