Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has dismissed claims that a religious genocide is taking place in his state, describing such reports as inaccurate.
Speaking at a consultative forum on the protection of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Forcibly Displaced Persons (FDPs) in Abuja on Wednesday, Governor Alia rejected narratives reportedly used by some U.S. officials to classify Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.
“In my state of Benue, we don’t have any religious, ethnic, racial, national, or state genocide. Do we have a number of insecurities in the state? Yes, we do. But it is not a genocide. Someone would need to check the United Nations definitions for this,” he said.
The governor also refuted claims that any form of jihad is underway in Nigeria, despite ongoing threats from extremist groups in the north-east.
Boko Haram has long sought to establish an Islamic state within Nigeria, while the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) aims to create a wider caliphate across West Africa aligned with ISIS ideology.
Governor Alia added: “I’m speaking to you as a reverend father in the church. I’m speaking to you as a governor of a state. If there were any, particularly in my state or any part of Nigeria, I would have been the very number one person to make a noise.”
The governor’s comments come amid growing concerns over insecurity in Nigeria, including attacks on communities and rising displacement of civilians.