Herdsmen attacks: Gov Alia responds to call for state of emergency in Benue

The Benue State Government has strongly condemned a recent petition by Professor Sebastine Hon, SAN, urging the Federal Government to declare a military state of emergency in the state.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia, Tersoo Kula, described the petition as hypocritical, politically motivated, and intellectually dishonest. He accused the senior lawyer of dragging his prestigious titles into ridicule by promoting a misleading narrative about Benue’s security challenges.

Reacting to Hon’s essay titled “Petition to Declare a State of Military Emergency in Benue State,” Kula criticized the professor for what he called a double standard. He noted that while Prof. Hon commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for improvements in security across parts of northern Nigeria, he unfairly shifted blame to Governor Alia for the lingering insecurity in Benue, even though the president remains the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

“It is pure hypocrisy to acknowledge the president’s efforts in other states while faulting a governor who does not command any federal security agency. The professor stumbled upon his own logic,” Kula stated.

The governor’s spokesperson stressed that Governor Alia has taken a number of proactive and multifaceted steps to address insecurity in the state. He condemned Prof. Hon for allegedly circulating outdated footage and engaging in political propaganda.

“It is shameful that a man who bears the title of Professor and SAN would resort to peddling outdated videos and political propaganda just to gain relevance,” he said.

Kula further accused the senior advocate of aligning with external political interests in a bid to undermine the state government’s work.

“In Benue, there are serious-minded professors and legal practitioners who are genuinely committed to truth and justice. Sadly, Prof. Sebastine isn’t one of them,” he remarked.

The statement also called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to re-evaluate the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) title conferred on Hon, warning that his recent actions could bring the legal profession into disrepute.

“We scoured his verbose letter in vain for any sound legal justification for a military emergency in Benue. What we found instead was a poorly disguised political smear campaign,” Kula concluded.