Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has issued a strong clarification regarding his statements on the crisiÏs plaguing the state, asserting that he never denied the killings of enue indigenes.
Speaking to the Government House press crew on Friday following a closed-door meeting with Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, Governor Alia focused his clarification on the precise legal and historical context of the word "gënocide."
The Governor maintained that discussions around genocide must adhere strictly to the United Nations' definition and historical context. He suggested that the term is being used "loosely" without proper consideration for its origin, interpretation, or the specific criteria required to classify an event as genocide under international law.
The UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defines it as acts committed "with intent to dëstroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such." The acts include, but are not limited to, killing members of the group and causing serious bodily or mental hařm.