*Photo: Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State*
Benue State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, has dismissed claims of religious genocide in the state.
He spoke on Wednesday, countering assertions raised by some United States officials, including Mr Donald Trump, the American president.
Speaking at a consultative forum on the protection of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, and Forcibly Displaced Persons, FDPs, organised by the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, in Abuja, Governor Alia said reports suggesting religious or ethnic cleansing in Benue were inaccurate.
“In my state of Benue, we don’t have any religious, any ethnic, any racial, any national or state genocide. We don’t have that,” the governor said.
He acknowledged security challenges in the state but stressed they do not meet the United Nations’ definition of genocide.
Alia, a Catholic priest before venturing into politics, also rejected claims that jihadist campaigns were ongoing in parts of the country.
“We do not have any jihad in Nigeria,” he said, adding: “If there were any, particularly in my state or any part of Nigeria, I would have been the first to speak out.”
Thanks for this clarification from the head of State, Benue state, whose boot leaking Pastor has incited genocide in the state.
God will surely expose all the enemies of the country, including Trump and other local and international traitors.