MAKURDI (SUNDIATA POST)- A stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue, Mr Bemgba Iortyom, has advised Gov. Hyacinth Alia to seek professional assistance in effectively addressing the persistent attacks on Benue communities by armed invaders.
Iortyom, a former Publicity Secretary of PDP in Benue, gave the advice in a statement issued on Tuesday in Makurdi.
He recalled that during the tenures of former governors George Akume, Gabriel Suswam, and Samuel Ortom, there were several bilateral discussions and negotiations focused on security cooperation between Benue and the neighbouring states of Nasarawa and Taraba.
He urged Alia to revive these bilateral talks to address the ongoing violence.
“Alia should, as a matter of urgency, reopen discussions with his Nasarawa and Taraba counterparts to cut off the staging grounds of these attacks on Benue communities,” Iortyom said.
“The governor should bring national attention to the existence of these staging areas in the neighboring states. Doing so would target the root source that feeds and sustains the attackers.”
According to him, the scale of violence in Benue demands innovative strategies, urging the governor to expand the scope of his security efforts.
“The intensity of the atrocities committed by these killers has reached a point where Alia must think outside the box and take the fight to the enemy using targeted strategies to undermine their operational capabilities.”
According to Iortyom, confining the fight against the invaders to within Benue alone is akin to treating symptoms while ignoring the root cause.
He stressed that the battle must be taken directly to the source of the attacks. (NAN)
