By Dami Folorunsho
Benue politician and 2027 governorship aspirant, Chief Bemgba Iortyom, has launched a blistering criticism of Governor Hyacinth Alia, accusing him of compromising the security and welfare of Benue people through the newly announced Northern Security Arrangement.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Iortyom described Alia’s decision to align Benue with the 19-state Northern Security Trust Fund as “a betrayal of the state and a dangerous compromise that must be rejected by all well-meaning citizens.”
The arrangement — which mandates each northern state to remit ₦1 billion monthly to a regional security fund — aims to tackle violent crimes, push for State Police creation, and impose temporary mining suspensions across the region.
But Iortyom dismissed the initiative as a “farce,” arguing that the fund would allegedly end up empowering individuals and groups responsible for long-standing attacks on Benue communities. He insisted that Alia has repeatedly demonstrated loyalty to “external interests hostile to the state,” citing alleged links to Fulani herders and decisions that weakened Benue’s anti-open grazing law.
He faulted the governor for disbanding the Benue Livestock Guards, downplaying herdsmen-linked killings as “mere skirmishes,” and rejecting a presidential directive to constitute a security response committee after the Yelewata massacre.
Iortyom also questioned Alia’s temperament and democratic credentials, warning that giving him influence over a proposed State Police would be “a disaster waiting to happen.” Citing cases of thuggery at political events and the attempted removal of the Chief Judge earlier this year, he accused the governor of intolerance and authoritarian tendencies.
On illegal mining, the PDP chieftain dismissed Alia’s call for a six-month mining suspension as “play-acting,” insisting that illegal mining has flourished under his administration despite the establishment of a Bureau of Mining & Solid Minerals.
He argued that the governor’s priorities lie in “deceit, subterfuge, and capital flight,” claiming that major contracts are consistently awarded to non-Benue interests.
Iortyom urged Benue citizens to reject the Northern Security Trust Fund, insisting that local solutions — funded from Alia’s “massive” security vote — would deliver better outcomes.
“The people must rise and say NO. Benue’s security cannot be entrusted to a governor who has consistently failed to defend them,” he declared.
The Alia administration has yet to formally respond to the allegations.
