ABUJA, Nigeria — Terrence Kuanum, Special Adviser to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, has fired back at Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia over recent comments accusing Akume and unnamed allies of staying silent amid escalating insecurity in the state.
The exchange follows Alia’s interview on Channels Television on Friday, June 6, 2025, in which he suggested that Akume — a former governor of Benue — and his associates had failed to publicly address the worsening security situation or support state-led interventions.
Alia also alleged that an interim report from a judicial panel he set up had implicated politicians in Abuja and the National Assembly in orchestrating violent attacks in the state.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Saturday, June 7, 2025, Kuanum rejected the insinuation that Akume had been indifferent to the plight of Benue residents, asserting instead that the SGF had been working quietly and consistently through federal channels to address the crisis.
“If the Governor of Benue State has expected that the SGF would be seen in the media discussing the efforts he has been making in that regard, then it betrays either a lack of understanding of governmental administrative procedure, or he is deliberately and unfortunately seeking to manipulate public sentiments against the SGF,” the statement reads.
Kuanum stated that Akume, as a key figure in the federal government and a member of the Federal Security Council, has used official mechanisms to communicate security concerns to President Bola Tinubu.
He noted that Akume’s role requires “asymmetrical contributions,” which may not always be visible to the public but have “yielded telling impact.”
He also defended Benue lawmakers, including Senators Titus Zam and Emmanuel Udende, who he said had consistently raised the issue of insecurity on the floor of the National Assembly, leading to federal actions through the Executive Council.
Addressing Alia’s reference to a forthcoming report by the state’s judicial panel, Kuanum said such documents typically undergo vetting and gazetting into a White Paper before being treated as the government’s official position.
However, since the governor has chosen to speak on its contents publicly, he urged Alia to follow through by submitting the names of the implicated politicians to the President and the Federal Security Council.
“His Excellency the Governor of Benue State must understand that his allegations and preemptive indictment of the persons so fingered now carry the weight of national security concern and must be treated as such,” Kuanum said.
“He should forward to His Excellency the President and to the Federal Security Council the names of those so indicted and their roles in sponsoring, aiding and abetting insecurity in Benue State as he claimed, and should also bring it publicly to the attention of the whole world who those enemies of Benue State are.”
The tensions between Governor Alia and SGF Akume come amid persistent rumours of political rivalry and strained relations between the two leaders.
In April 2024, the Tiv Traditional Council mediated a reconciliation between the pair, though recent developments suggest unresolved divisions over leadership and influence in the state.
Benue State has witnessed a sharp uptick in violence this year, with repeated attacks in rural communities attributed to armed herders, bandits, and other non-state actors.
