The Benue State Government has condemned recent comments by former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, describing them as “disturbingly insensitive” to the plight of victims affected by continued attacks in the state.
The response came through a statement issued on Saturday by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Sir Tersoo Kula.
Kula criticised Odinkalu for what he described as performative critique rather than genuine concern for the suffering of people in Benue.
Odinkalu had, in a post on April 23, 2025, via his official handle on X (formerly Twitter), accused Alia of misinforming the public about the identity of those behind the persistent attacks in the state.
Taking a swipe at the governor’s background as a Catholic priest, Odinkalu wrote: “The Governor of Benue State should return to the seminary or seek re-education.”
Odinkalu questioned the governor’s claim that the perpetrators of the recent massacres are “Hausa-speaking mercenaries from Mali,” pointing out the geographical and linguistic inconsistency.
“He says #BenueMassacres are the handiwork of Hausa speakers from Mali? Malians speak Bambara, Songhai, Malinke. Hausa speakers with French accent should be from Niger, not Mali,” he said.
The criticism came days after Alia publicly identified some of the attackers as Hausa-speaking mercenaries allegedly from Mali, a claim that has sparked debate and drawn criticism.
Responding, Kula stated: “It is quite disheartening to see personalities like Chidi Odinkalu, who should align in solidarity with the victims of these attacks, prefer to choose performative critique. This will take us away from the genuine issues befalling the people of Benue.”
He emphasised the dire situation in the state, saying: “Benue, with the appellation of the Food Basket of the Nation, is awfully bleeding from the dreadful wounds viciously inflicted as a result of relentless attacks by armed herders. Many innocent lives have been lost, and thousands of families have been displaced.”
Kula also highlighted Alia’s transparency about the challenges facing his administration, stating: “Gov. Alia has on various occasions openly acknowledged the limitations of his efforts in providing necessary support through logistics and manpower to federal security forces, which are evidently overstretched.”
The statement maintained that the governor has been consistent in identifying the perpetrators without resorting to ethnic stereotyping:
“Governor Alia has consistently pointed out the active involvement of criminal elements among Fulani herdsmen, who have resorted to hiring mercenaries to aid in their land-grabbing ventures. He discerns the pitfalls of generalisation. Stereotyping a whole ethnic group does not generate solutions to the crisis at hand.”
Calling for unity and empathy, the Benue government stressed that attention should remain focused on solving the crisis and supporting victims:
“In the present unfortunate circumstances, what truly matters is the reality of the terrorist attacks on the natives of Benue State. Whether the perpetrators are Malians, Nigeriens, or come from elsewhere, the focus should be on empathy and solutions rather than on vindictive criticisms,” Kula said.
In a fresh post on his verified X handle, Odinkalu reacted to the statement from Kula, further criticising Governor Alia’s handling of the crisis. He accused the governor who is also a Catholic priest of failing in both moral and leadership responsibilities amid ongoing attacks in rural communities.
“Mr. Catholic Governor of Benue State has shown a remarkable lack of both will and nous on this existential crisis in the State,” Odinkalu tweeted.
“The victims understand his failure of pastoral capability or advertence. Last week, they stoned him and his convoy out of Ukum.”
He further alleged that rather than take responsibility, Alia deflected blame by inventing “phantom perpetrators”:
“Rather than learn lessons from that chastening experience, Mr. Catholic Governor of Benue State chose to invent phantom perpetrators, claiming they are ‘Hausa from Mali.’”
Odinkalu’s reference to the Ukum incident alludes to a recent confrontation in the Ukum Local Government Area, where the governor was reportedly pelted with stones by angry residents frustrated by the government’s perceived inaction in curbing the violence.
Referencing the funeral of the Pope, which was marked globally, Odinkalu said,” #OnThisDay of #PopeFuneral, Benue State Gov, Hyacinth Alia, a Catholic Priest, has no time to mourn the Pope. Instead, he’s sent out Tersoo Kula, his #Spox, to issue a cringeworthy statement protesting that I said he, Mr. Catholic Governor, needs re-education.”
He concluded by questioning Alia’s qualifications for both governance and priesthood: “If he cannot be bothered to re-examine his record on this issue, it may be time for Mr. Catholic Governor of Benue State to reconsider his governorship credentials. Sadly, on the current evidence, even his credentials for the pulpit or the altar may be open to question.”
(The Punch)