…Your presence is Christ sitting with us – Gov. Alia
The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), 19 northern states and the FCT, has condemned the recent killings in Benue state, describing the incident as a “national tragedy that demands honest conversations and urgent intervention by the Nigerian state.”
This was contained in a statement issued in Kaduna on Friday by the Chairman of Northern, Rev. John Joseph Hayab after a condolence visit to the state by a high-powered delegation.
The delegation, comprising CAN chairmen, secretaries, youth and women leaders from across the North and the FCT, was received at the Government House in Makurdi by the Benue state Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia.
Addressing the governor and stakeholders, Rev. Hayab rejected the prevailing narrative of “herders-farmers clashes” as the root cause of the killings, insisting that the reality was far more complex and sinister.
He said, “This is not a herders-farmers crisis, and we must stop describing it that way. If you don’t make the right diagnosis, you will never administer the right treatment. We must call these killings what they are and face the situation with honesty and courage.”
He noted that while Northern CAN had issued several press statements condemning the killings, the visit was a step further in showing solidarity with the people of Benue, whom he described as the food basket of the nation and a critical part of Nigeria’s stability.
“Beyond our prayers, we will continue to speak truth to power and engage national leaders on sensitive issues of national importance until meaningful change is achieved,” Hayab added.
Responding, Governor Alia noted that the visit was a divine gesture that brought “comfort, healing, and spiritual strength to the grieving state.”
“As I was shaking hands with all of you and feeling your warmth, what ran through my mind was this: ‘I am because you are, and you are because I am.’ That is Christianity. That is the message Christ preached – love,” he said.
He said further that the presence of the delegation symbolised Christ sitting with the people of Benue in their moment of pain.
“You are not just sitting here. It is Christ who is sitting on each of the chairs you occupy. That is how much this visit means to me and the good people of Benue
“When one life is lost, it is one too many. And when the numbers keep rising, you wonder what is going on. But your visit, your prayers, and your presence are a complete interpretation of the good things that God is bringing out of a very bad situation,” he said.
He appealed to the Christian community to remain steadfast in praying for the peace of Benue and Nigeria as a whole.