Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has described interventions by the Federal Government and the United States as very helpful in addressing persistent insecurity in the state and other parts of the North-Central region.

Alia made the remarks on Tuesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, where he called for stronger collaboration among states in the region to develop a coordinated response to insecurity.

The governor said the region needed to move beyond reacting to attacks and focus on identifying the sources of insecurity and preventing further violence.

He also expressed concern over what he described as fragmented responses from security agencies, stressing the need for states in the region to work together to protect their communities.

Alia said insecurity in one state ultimately posed a threat to neighbouring states, adding that North-Central states must take collective responsibility for safeguarding lives and creating conditions for economic development.

The governor acknowledged the Federal Government’s response to attacks in Benue, including the deployment of additional military formations and security units to areas experiencing persistent violence.

He said the intervention by the United States had also been “very, very helpful”, while describing the Federal Government’s efforts as supportive.

Alia disclosed that a new military division established by President Bola Tinubu would cover Benue, Kogi and Nasarawa states, with its headquarters expected to be located in Makurdi.

He added that troops would be stationed in communities that had experienced repeated attacks, while other security units would be deployed to strategic locations.

The governor also addressed the debate over whether the killings in parts of northern Nigeria should be described as a Christian genocide.

He said there was broad agreement on the severity and scale of the killings, although opinions differed over whether the violence specifically constituted Christian genocide.