Gov Alia Advocates Community Policing, Warns Against Self-Defence After Benue Massacre

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has urged residents to prioritize structured community policing over self-defence following the recent massacre that claimed over 300 lives, saying that knee‑jerk mobilization would only worsen the crisis.

Alia made the appeal during an appearance on AIT’s Kakaaki programme on Tuesday, highlighting the attacks in Yelwata as part of a wave of violence orchestrated by heavily armed herder gangs. He warned that locals resorting to self-defence out of anger and fear would only make them more vulnerable to retaliatory strikes.

While acknowledging the desperation and legitimate demand for protection, the governor emphasized that emotional responses must yield to coordinated strategies. “Self-defence … makes us vulnerable. I wouldn’t advocate for it,” he said, urging residents to channel their energies into organized community security frameworks .

Community policing, Alia explained, is the only sustainable path forward. Locals deeply rooted in their environments can provide accurate intelligence and rapid responses—advantages conventional forces often lack in remote areas .

The governor has previously pointed out that the violence is not spontaneous but highly coordinated. He described attackers arriving in large numbers—sometimes hundreds on motorcycles—carrying military-grade weapons, making self-defence by ill-prepared villagers a dangerous gamble.

Support for Alia’s community policing strategy is gaining momentum. In April, Lawyers Alert and the Benue NGOs Network praised the plan, citing pilot programmes in Guma and Katsina-Ala LGAs showing reductions in violence through collaboration between locals and security agencies.

The governor also disclosed that over 5,000 Civil Protection Guards are already being trained and deployed within the state, complementing civilian-led security efforts. Their mandate is to deter attackers and act as conduits between communities and formal security forces.