Hyacinth Alia

Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia (b. 15 May 1966, Mbangur, Vandeikya LGA) is a Nigerian Catholic priest, humanitarian, and politician serving as Governor of Benue State since 29 May 2023 on the APC platform. Ordained a Catholic priest in 1990 by Bishop Athanasius Atule Usuh; pursued higher education in the United States (Fordham, Duquesne) before returning to pastoral roles in Benue. His transition from the priesthood to the governorship was controversial — he was suspended *a divinis* by the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi for running for political office, as canon law prohibits clergy from holding political office; his candidacy sparked debate about the separation of church and state in Nigeria. In office since May 2023, his administration has been the subject of multiple civil-society and PDP petitions to the EFCC alleging (i) approximately ₦4.6 billion diverted from Benue State funds, (ii) ₦20 billion in contract-fraud allegations from contracts awarded September–November 2023 allegedly in violation of the Benue State Public Procurement Law 2020 (no EXCO conclusions, no advertisements, back-dated Certificates of No Objection), and (iii) an alleged ₦1.2 billion car procurement (Guardian Nigeria, ThisDay, Vanguard, SecretsReporter — all 2024). The Network for Transparent Governance (NTG) and the Benue PDP have supported the EFCC investigations. Alia publicly warned LG chairmen in March 2024 to "desist from corruption, EFCC watching you" — a defensive posture that implicitly acknowledges the active oversight. Recommend `investigation` status; sitting governor, so charges are unlikely during tenure even if a file is open.