Benue, Chidi Odinkalu trade words over comments on herdsmen attacks

Odinkalu

The Benue State Government has condemned recent comments by former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, describing them as “disturbingly insensitive” to the plight of victims affected by continued attacks in the state.

The response came through a statement issued on Saturday by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Sir Tersoo Kula.

Kula criticised Odinkalu for what he described as performative critique rather than genuine concern for the suffering of people in Benue.

Odinkalu had, in a post on April 23, 2025, via his official handle on X (formerly Twitter), accused Alia of misinforming the public about the identity of those behind the persistent attacks in the state.

Taking a swipe at the governor’s background as a Catholic priest, Odinkalu wrote: “The Governor of Benue State should return to the seminary or seek re-education.”

Odinkalu questioned the governor’s claim that the perpetrators of the recent massacres are “Hausa-speaking mercenaries from Mali,” pointing out the geographical and linguistic inconsistency.

“He says #BenueMassacres are the handiwork of Hausa speakers from Mali? Malians speak Bambara, Songhai, Malinke. Hausa speakers with French accent should be from Niger, not Mali,” he said.

The criticism came days after Alia publicly identified some of the attackers as Hausa-speaking mercenaries allegedly from Mali, a claim that has sparked debate and drawn criticism.

Responding, Kula stated: “It is quite disheartening to see personalities like Chidi Odinkalu, who should align in solidarity with the victims of these attacks, prefer to choose performative critique. This will take us away from the genuine issues befalling the people of Benue.”