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‘I’d Speak Out First’ — Gov Alia says Nigeria not facing Jihad, Christian Genocide
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, on Wednesday dismissed claims of religious genocide in the state, countering allegations reportedly raised by some United States officials pushing for Nigeria to be designated as a Country of Particular Concern.
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, the governor said reports suggesting religious or ethnic cleansing in Benue were false and misleading.
His comments come as international attention intensifies over accusations of Christian persecution and targeted attacks across the country.
Very Nigerian reports that this follows earlier claims and growing scrutiny, including a recent threat by U.S. President Donald Trump of possible military action against Nigeria over alleged Christian genocide.
“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,” Governor Alia said.
While acknowledging the security challenges affecting Benue communities, he stressed that they do not meet the United Nations’ definition of genocide.
Alia, a Catholic priest before joining politics, also dismissed suggestions that jihadist operations were underway in Nigeria, despite the extremist goals of Boko Haram and ISWAP to establish Islamic rule in parts of the country.
“We do not have any jihad in Nigeria,” he said. “If there were any, particularly in my state or any part of Nigeria, I would have been the first to speak out.”
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