Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has revealed that President Bola Tinubu recently held a private meeting with him and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, in a bid to find peaceful solutions to the persistent wave of deadly violence in the state.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Alia disclosed that the meeting was convened by the president in response to growing public concerns and was aimed at fostering unity and resolving any perceived tensions between key leaders in Benue.

“President Tinubu is not wrong to ask us to find common ground for peace,” Governor Alia said. “He invited the SGF and me because of what he was hearing from the public. He wanted to know if there was any issue between us.”

Alia clarified that there is no friction between him and Akume, a former governor of Benue, emphasizing that both are united in their mission to bring peace to the region. “The SGF himself said there are no differences between us. And if there were any before, going forward, there will be no problems at all. Our traditional rulers can sleep peacefully,” he added.

The governor attributed the violence largely to external forces, alleging that well-armed actors from outside the state were fueling the conflict. “We have a complex situation that is being sponsored and controlled from somewhere. We can handle the internal local government issues, but the real problem is with outsiders coming in armed with AK-47 and AK-49 rifles,” he said.

Responding to claims that the Federal Government has failed to assist Benue, Alia strongly disagreed, citing evidence of direct support from the presidency. “If President Tinubu didn’t understand what was happening, he wouldn’t be giving us full support,” the governor stated.

He noted that out of Benue’s 23 local government areas, 17 were previously under siege. “We reduced it to nine, then six, and now just three. That progress was possible because of the support from the Federal Government,” Alia affirmed.

The governor’s comments come amid heightened national attention to the violence in Benue, where dozens have been killed in recent attacks, prompting urgent calls for federal intervention and lasting solutions.