[OPINION] Alia: A Catholic Priest Lies Before God and Man, By James Agbo Ogidi

When Hyacinth Iormem Alia left the priesthood to become Governor of Benue State, many believed he would bring a moral compass to a region plagued by violence. As a former priest, the expectation was that he would defend the vulnerable and speak truth in the face of oppression.

In April, Governor Alia made a clear statement acknowledging the violence in Benue as having religious dimensions.

He addressed the suffering of Christian communities and the need for acknowledgement and action.

Recently, however, at a consultative forum organised by the National Human Rights Commission in Abuja, he said:

“In my state of Benue, we don’t have any religious, ethnic, racial, national or state genocide… We do have insecurity in the state. But it is not genocide.”

By that statement he denied what he once acknowledged or perhaps sought to protect his political position rather than his people.

Benue State continues to witness horrifying violence: villages attacked at night; churches burned; clergy and ordinary citizens abducted and displaced. Yet the governor now frames those events as mere insecurity.

When the raid on Yelewata occurred, an attack residents said killed over 200 people, Alia claimed ‘only’ 59 were killed. This drastic disparity drives home the perception of under-reporting and political spin.

Previously Alia had referred to killing in Benue as “skirmishes.” He was corrected by the Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, who affirmed that the killings were genocide.

The tone of reduction and denial from the governor now reads like self-preservation.

As a former Catholic priest, Alia once vowed to protect life, uphold justice and defend the weak. That oath implied rejecting partisan politics.

Now, many see him prioritising party, power and position.
The shift is seen not just as a reversal, but a betrayal of both spiritual and civil duty.

If a leader denies the suffering of his people, dismisses evidence of atrocity and substitutes political convenience for moral clarity, what remains of his leadership?
Governor Alia might still hold office, but his moral capital is damaged.

For many in Benue, this is not about party politics anymore, it is about integrity, truth and accountability.

Benue State needed a shepherd.
Instead, many feel they got a politician.

James Agbo Ogidi write from Bukuru, Jos.