Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has refuted international claims alleging religious genocide in the state, stressing that although Benue is grappling with significant security challenges, its situation does not amount to genocide.
Alia made the remarks at a consultative forum on protecting the rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Forcibly Displaced Persons (FDPs), organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Abuja.
“In my state of Benue, we don’t have any religious, ethnic, racial, national or state genocide. We don’t have that.
“Do we have insecurity in the state? Yes, we do. But it is not genocide. Someone would need to check the United Nations’ definitions to understand this,” he said.
The governor, a Catholic priest before his election, also debunked claims that any form of jihad is unfolding in Benue or anywhere in the country.
“We do not have any jihad in Nigeria. I’m speaking to you as a reverend father and as a governor. If anything like that were happening in Benue or any part of Nigeria, I would be the first to raise the alarm,” he stated.
His comments come amid renewed global debate over religious freedom in Nigeria, following repeated attempts by U.S. officials to list Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged persecution of Christians. Nigeria received the CPC designation during former U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term, but it was later removed under President Joe Biden.
The federal government, alongside several religious leaders, has consistently rejected genocide claims, saying Nigeria’s diverse and overlapping security crises cut across religious and ethnic lines.
A BBC investigation cited by U.S. officials also found that parts of the data used to allege Christian genocide in Nigeria could not be independently verified.
Alia noted that he recently visited the U.S. Embassy in Abuja to brief diplomats on the realities in Benue, stressing that the state’s security situation does not fit any UN definition of genocide.
“It’s on the record that I had an interface with the American ambassador. I made it clear that, particularly in Benue State, the situation does not meet the parameters of genocide,” he said.
Benue has endured recurring violence since 2009, with rural communities frequently targeted.
