Abuja, Nigeria – The Network for Transparent Governance (NTG), a civil society organization focused on accountability and human rights, has filed a petition against the Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, accusing him of large-scale misappropriation of public funds, abuse of office, violations of procurement laws, and gross dereliction of duty.
The petition, dated December 10, 2025, was addressed to President Bola Tinubu, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
In the strongly worded open letter signed by NTG President Dennis Agema and Secretary-General Oliver Omenka, the organization said it was compelled to act “as patriotic sons of the state before it crumbles,” adding that, “Let it be on record that while the plundering of Benue’s resources was ongoing, a group of concerned citizens raised the alarm.”
N3.5 Billion Monthly Security Votes and Alleged Diversions
The NTG raised serious concerns over what it described as Governor Alia’s unprecedented monthly security vote of N3.5 billion, which it noted is the highest in the North-Central region. By the organization’s calculation, this amounts to N105 billion between May 2023 and November 2025.
Despite the huge allocation, the group claimed there was “no verifiable procurement of operational security vehicles,” and “no transparent evidence of sustained logistics funding for security agencies.” NTG added that the governor had failed to release “any public audit trail or expenditure breakdown.”
The petitioners alleged that more than N700 billion in federal allocations, N85 billion in international donations, and roughly N2 billion monthly in internally generated revenue (IGR) had accrued to the state under Governor Alia, yet “Governor Alia is believed to have diverted over N300 billion of the resources and is set to embezzle more in the months to come.”
NTG further accused the governor of keeping all state accounts frozen since May 2023, saying: “Only the governor operates the accounts and spends from them as he pleases.”
Inflated Contracts and Procurement Irregularities
According to the group, a major point of contention was the award of the contract for the rehabilitation of a 13km Wurukum–Airforce Base road. Governor Alia had reportedly approved the contract for N68.3 billion, but the Director General of the State Public Procurement Commission, Dr. Comfort Adadu, informed the House of Assembly that her commission only approved N28 billion, following due process.
NTG argued that the revelations “further exposed Governor Hyacinth Alia as a very corrupt person.” The group also cited the construction of a 14km road to the governor’s village costed at N73 billion, which it described as another inflated and questionable expenditure.
Alleged Purchase of Private Jet and Foreign Investments
The petition accused Governor Alia of purchasing a Bombardier Challenger 850 private jet for N11 billion, asserting that the funds could have been used for pressing needs. NTG further alleged that part of a N100 billion loan obtained by the state in 2025 was diverted to fund a private university the governor is “currently building for himself in Freetown, Sierra Leone,” with additional investments reportedly made in Rwanda.
The group demanded that the governor provide explanations on “why he chose to divert the funds to his private investments in Sierra Leone and Rwanda.”
Local Government Funds and BIPC Concerns
The petitioners accused the governor of withholding all local government FAAC allocations for over two years, alleging that “no local government under Alia has constructed even a single culvert in two years because the governor has hijacked their allocations.” They claimed that N80 billion was diverted from local government funds in 2025 alone.
NTG also raised alarm over the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), stating that the Managing Director, Mr. Raymond Asemakaha, had incorporated several companies under private ownership even though they were presented publicly as state-owned enterprises.
Human Rights Concerns: Killings and Displacement
Beyond financial allegations, the NTG accused the governor of gross negligence leading to “continuous coordinated attacks on rural communities, mass killings of civilians, destruction of villages, and massive displacement of women and children.”
The group criticized Governor Alia’s public statements downplaying the situation, quoting him as saying “there is no religious genocide in Benue State” and that the attacks were merely “skirmishes.” NTG described these remarks as “institutional denial of atrocities” and “psychological violations of victims.”
Formal Demands to EFCC, ICPC, and NHRC
NTG requested a comprehensive forensic investigation by the EFCC into all security votes received since May 2023, an audit of state accounts, and inquiries into the governor’s alleged acquisition of private assets locally and abroad.
To the ICPC, the group called for investigations into procurement breaches and violations of fiscal responsibility laws.
To the NHRC, NTG demanded human rights investigations, public hearings in affected communities, and recommendations for reparations and federal intervention.
NTG Vows to Assist Investigations
The organization pledged its willingness to support the investigative process, stating: “The Network for Transparent Governance affirms its readiness to provide further documentation and testimonies, appear before investigative panels, and mobilize affected communities for lawful cooperation.”
Governor Yet to Respond
As of the time of filing this report, Governor Hyacinth Alia had not issued any public response to the allegations contained in the petition.