Teargas and Tyranny: AAC Blasts Gov. Alia for ‘Thuggish’ Crackdown on Benue Protesters
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….Party Says Makurdi Turned into a Warzone as Citizens Demand Action on Killings
The African Action Congress (AAC) isn’t mincing words in its latest broadside against Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, accusing him of trading leadership for brute force after security operatives violently dispersed peaceful protesters in Makurdi over the weekend.
In a fiery statement on Sunday, AAC’s Federal Capital Territory Chairman and human rights advocate, Agena Robert Ande, described the response to the protest as “state-sponsored brutality” and a “cowardly betrayal” of citizens who dared to speak up about the bloodshed plaguing their communities.
“Governor Alia didn’t just miss the moment—he stomped on it with boots, bullets, and batons,” Ande said. “Instead of listening to his people, he sent in armoured vehicles and tear gas like he was preparing for war.”
According to the AAC, the protesters had gathered peacefully to demand an end to the relentless killings in the state, largely blamed on armed Fulani herdsmen. But what began as a citizens’ call for help quickly morphed into a scene of chaos, as security agents—backed by helicopters, reports say—moved in with full force.
“Deploying such excessive force against unarmed citizens is not just incompetent; it’s tyrannical,” Ande fumed. “This isn’t governance. It’s gangsterism in government robes.”
The party slammed Governor Alia for failing to engage the protesters or even acknowledge the pain they were voicing, opting instead for what it called a textbook authoritarian playbook—intimidate first, answer never.
Ande went further, accusing the administration of ignoring the real danger: the unchecked violence from suspected Fulani herdsmen, some of whom allegedly launch attacks from neighbouring Nasarawa State.
“For years, these communities have been under siege while the government offered nothing but silence,” he said. “Now, when the people rise to speak, they’re answered with tear gas and truncheons.”
Reports from the protest indicated that not only were demonstrators beaten, but some were handed over to police by individuals believed to be political thugs loyal to the state government.
“Who needs democracy when you have licensed goons doing crowd control?” Ande asked sarcastically. “This is not just an attack on free speech—it’s an assault on the very idea of governance by consent.”
The AAC called on Governor Alia to publicly condemn the killings, stop criminalising dissent, and produce a coherent security strategy that goes beyond reactive press statements.
“This administration is running out of excuses—and time,” Ande warned. “Benue people will not be cowed. They will keep demanding answers. And if Governor Alia can’t provide them, then perhaps he should step aside for someone who can.”
For the people of Benue, the weekend protest may have ended in smoke and sirens—but the anger, Ande insists, is only just beginning to simmer.
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