Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has firmly rejected claims suggesting that religious genocide or jihadist campaigns are taking place in Benue State or anywhere else in Nigeria.

Speaking on Wednesday at a consultative forum organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Abuja, Governor Alia said recent reports—especially those linked to some officials in the United States—misrepresent the true situation on ground. These officials had reportedly pushed for Nigeria to be listed as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged religious persecution.

Governor Alia described such claims as inaccurate and exaggerated, especially assertions that Christians or any religious group are being systematically targeted in Benue.

“In my state of Benue, we don’t have any religious, ethnic, racial, national or state genocide. We don’t have that,” he insisted.

He acknowledged that Benue, like many parts of Nigeria, faces security challenges. However, he stressed that these issues do not align with the United Nations’ definition of genocide, nor do they point to a coordinated religious cleansing campaign.

The governor, who is also a Catholic priest, further dismissed claims that jihadist movements are operating within Nigeria’s borders. While extremist groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP have previously attempted to enforce radical ideologies, Alia said there is no active jihad in any part of the country.

“We do not have any jihad in Nigeria,” he declared. “If there were any, particularly in my state or any part of Nigeria, I would have been the first to speak out.”

His remarks come at a time of increased international attention on Nigeria’s human rights and security landscape, with concerns over attacks on communities and the safety of Internally Displaced Persons.