Terrorists Plotting Ethnic Cleansing in Benue – Govt Sounds Red Alert

The Benue State Government has blamed the recent spate of violent attacks on criminal groups allegedly seeking to seize land from local residents by force.

This position was made public by Tersoo Kula, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, during an interview on Channels Television’s “The Morning Brief” on Tuesday.

Kula revealed that the assailants—described as terrorists—invade communities on motorcycles and are heavily armed with AK-47 rifles. Their aim, he said, is to drive people from their ancestral homes and take over the land.

“What is happening in Benue State is deeply troubling,” Kula stated. “These individuals have organised themselves to launch calculated attacks with the clear intention of grabbing land.”

He dismissed the common narrative that these incidents are simple farmer-herder clashes, insisting instead that they amount to an orchestrated campaign of terrorism.

According to recent reports, the death toll from the coordinated attacks on communities in the Ukum and Logo local government areas has climbed to 72.

Kula explained that the assailants came in large numbers from a neighbouring state, targeting farms, markets, and even places of worship—showcasing the sheer brutality of their actions.

“They stormed the communities on motorbikes, armed with AK-47s, and attacked innocent people in farms, markets, and worship centres. That’s why the number of casualties has reached 72,” he said.

He strongly criticised the continued mislabeling of the attacks as “clashes,” saying it diminishes the scale and horror of the violence.

“When someone is simply in their home or working on their farm and gets attacked without provocation, that’s not a clash—it’s terrorism,” Kula emphasised. “As long as we keep framing these attacks incorrectly, the true situation in Benue State will continue to be misunderstood.”