Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has renewed calls for the immediate adoption of community policing to address the escalating security crisis across rural areas of the state.
Governor Alia made this plea while speaking on Politics Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, on Tuesday. He decried the rising spate of coordinated attacks by armed groups, describing them as overwhelming and deeply concerning.
According to the governor, eyewitness accounts indicate that the assailants arrive in large numbers, often riding over 200 motorbikes, with three or four armed men on each. “That’s not just an attack; that’s an invasion,” Alia said.
While acknowledging the increasing advocacy for self-defense among local residents, the governor cautioned against an uncoordinated response.
“There’s a very grave need for defense, including self-defense,” he noted, “but let’s not be sentimental. We don’t want to end up with more scores of deaths on our hands.”
Alia stressed the urgency of establishing a well-structured community policing framework, which he believes is critical to restoring peace and security.
“We should have started yesterday. We know the right people to bring in at the local level, and this can be managed effectively if we act now,” he said.
He added that conventional security forces are overstretched and unable to cover the vast rural terrain of Benue. Hence, there is a growing need to empower trusted community members to safeguard their own areas.
The governor also urged collaboration from traditional rulers, youth leaders, and civil society organizations in the rollout of grassroots security measures.
“This is no longer a conversation; it’s a necessity. We need community policing, and we need it now,” he concluded.