FIC Report (Benue State) – The Benue State Commissioner for Information and National Orientation, Chief Solomon Iorpev, has said Nasarawa State has questions to answer over the persistent insecurity affecting the North Central region, urging the state government to explain its security architecture.
Iorpev made the assertion on Friday, September 4, 2026, when the management of the Federal Information Centre (FIC), Makurdi, led by its Head of Centre, Mrs. Irene Iveren Onehi, paid him a courtesy visit in his office at the Benue State Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Makurdi.
The Commissioner said the recent North Central Zonal Security Summit held at the Benue State Government House, Makurdi, was convened as part of government efforts to find a lasting solution to the insecurity ravaging the region.
According to him, the recurring attacks in Benue, despite the efforts of the state government to contain the situation, had made a regional approach imperative to enable states to share experiences and examine measures being adopted to address the security challenge.
Iorpev questioned why farmers and communities in Benue continued to come under attacks while Nasarawa State, which he described as having some of the largest farms in the country, had not experienced a similar pattern of attacks.
The Commissioner said the situation required states in the region to critically examine their respective security arrangements and work collectively towards addressing the factors fuelling insecurity.
Iorpev further said that Governor Hyacinth Alia is a strong advocate of State Police, noting that locals know their territory better than someone coming from outside to carry out security operations.
He expressed appreciation to the management of the Federal Information Centre, Makurdi, for the visit and reaffirmed the ministry’s readiness to collaborate with the Centre in covering and disseminating information on government activities across the state.
The Commissioner also urged FIC Makurdi to ensure that the Federal Government was adequately informed about the progress being made by the Alia administration in the areas of infrastructure and human capital development.
He cited the state government’s free education policy from Basic One to Basic Nine, the construction of a cancer centre at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, which, he said, attracts patients from within and outside Nigeria, as well as ongoing road construction and other development projects across the state.
Iorpev stressed the importance of effective information dissemination in showcasing government programmes and projects and ensuring that citizens were properly informed about developments in the state.
Earlier, the Head of Centre, Federal Information Centre, Makurdi, Mrs. Irene Iveren Onehi, congratulated Chief Iorpev on his appointment as Commissioner for Information and National Orientation and pledged to strengthen collaboration between the Centre and the ministry.
Onehi said the visit was aimed at formally congratulating the Commissioner and fostering a cordial and mutually beneficial working relationship between the Federal Information Centre and the State Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
She described the ministry as an important partner of the Centre, noting that both institutions had, over the years, collaborated in promoting government policies, programmes and activities.
The Head of Centre assured the Commissioner of the FIC’s readiness to work closely with the ministry, particularly in the areas of information dissemination, public enlightenment and the promotion of government policies and programmes at both federal and state levels.
She further pledged the Centre’s support for initiatives aimed at strengthening government-media relations and ensuring that members of the public were adequately informed about government activities.
The Head of Centre also presented a copy of the FGN Connect to the Commissioner, highlighting the Centre’s commitment to strengthening the flow of credible information on Federal Government policies, programmes and activities.
Bridget Udoo Tarker
For: Head of Centre
FIC, MAKURDI
