The Zone “A” Peoples’ Assembly (ZAPA) has called on Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, to declare a state of emergency on security following the resurgence of deadly attacks and mass displacement across several communities.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday in Makurdi, ZAPA President, Mr. Fanen Mondo, decried what he described as a “wave of brutal, coordinated assaults” by armed herders — some of whom, he alleged, are foreign mercenaries — in areas including Chito (Ukum), Tor Donga (Katsina-Ala), Turan (Kwande), Aôndoana (Gwer West), Yelwata (Guma), Apa, and Agatu.
Mondo urged Governor Alia to not only declare the emergency but to personally lead the security response and openly engage the Federal Government on the worsening situation.
“In all these places, what connects them is not just the bloodshed and destruction. It is the silence — silence from those in positions of power who should act and speak,” he said.
He condemned what he described as political silence and inaction from state leaders, asserting that failure to speak or act amounts to complicity.
“This silence is not neutrality; it is complicity. And the people of Benue see it for what it is,” Mondo stated.
He further called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remember the support he received from the people of Benue during the 2023 elections and to urgently intervene by deploying military forces and delivering emergency humanitarian aid to affected communities.
“We don’t need a silent governor; we need a field commander who will defend our ancestral lands,” Mondo concluded.
