Dancing on Mass Graves’: Middle Belt Forum Accuses Gov. Alia of Betraying Benue’s Genocide Victims

David Onyilokwu

Nigeria’s Middle Belt politics exploded on Thursday after the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) issued a blistering attack on Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, accusing him of “dancing on the graves” of thousands killed in years of terror attacks across the state.

In one of its strongest statements yet, the influential regional body said Governor Alia’s recent claim that no religious genocide was taking place in Benue was not just false but “a crude insult to the dead” and “an affront to survivors who live every day under the shadow of slaughter.”

The MBF pointedly reminded the governor of his own viral video from April 20, 2025, where he declared that Benue was under “well targeted, well planned and religiously executed” attacks. “How does a man contradict himself so spectacularly?” the Forum asked. “Who benefits from his sudden amnesia?”

“This is genocide — and everyone knows it”

The Forum invoked the UN Genocide Convention, arguing that the pattern of killings, mass burnings, and forced displacement in Benue mirrors every element of a religiously targeted campaign against predominantly Christian farming communities.

“What is happening in Benue is not a ‘clash’,” the Forum said. “It is organised, systematic destruction carried out by Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM). Calling it a clash is the propaganda of perpetrators — and the comfort of politicians too timid to confront them.”

Accuses Alia of undermining U.S. scrutiny

The MBF hinted at a darker motive behind the governor’s remarks, alleging that Alia may be playing a role in efforts to blunt growing international pressure on Nigeria. The attack comes just as the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa holds hearings on President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over Christian genocide.

“Governor Alia’s statements are too conveniently timed,” the MBF said, warning that his denial could be used to confuse Washington and weaken global action.

“The numbers alone prove the governor wrong”

The Forum laid out figures it says the governor cannot wish away:

5,138 people killed in Benue between 2015 and March 2023, according to state emergency authorities.

Hundreds more massacred in repeated attacks in 2024–2025.

Over 500,000 Benue residents displaced by late 2024, with humanitarian agencies reporting even higher numbers through 2025.


“Every one of these numbers is a story of a burnt village, a widowed woman, a mutilated child,” the statement noted. “Denying this reality is not just immoral — it is outrageous.”

“Faith is not a shield for failure”

The MBF also hit back at Alia’s invocation of his priesthood. “Being a priest does not absolve him from political duty,” the Forum said. “Faith is not a cloak for denial.”

They accused the governor of sanitising mass murder, shielding perpetrators with soft language, and abandoning communities that trusted him to bring moral clarity to governance.

Four demands to the governor

The Forum called on Governor Alia to:

1. Stop trivialising mass killings with euphemisms.


2. Invite independent investigators to determine whether international crimes are being committed.


3. Demand stronger humanitarian protection for Benue’s displaced.


4. Cease making statements that “mislead Nigerians and deceive the world.”



“History is watching,” the MBF warned. “And it will not be kind to those who use the pulpit to hide political cowardice.”