The Tiv Area Traditional Council (TATC) has issued a stern directive for all herders to immediately vacate farmlands across the Tiv Kingdom, citing an alarming rise in attacks on farmers and a looming food crisis.
Thank you for reading this post; don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel here!
The order, which gives herders until the end of May 2025 to comply, was the outcome of an emergency meeting held on Tuesday at the Tor Tiv Palace in Gboko, presided over by His Royal Majesty, Orchivirigh Professor James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse, CFR.
The Council’s resolution comes amidst escalating security challenges that have brought farming activities to a grinding halt in numerous Local Government Areas, including Kwande, Katsina-Ala, Logo, Ukum, Guma, Makurdi, Gwer-West, Gwer-East, and Buruku. The TATC condemned the persistent attacks and killings of farmers by armed herders, which have forced many to abandon their lands, particularly at the height of the crucial planting season.
“The presence of herders on farmlands is no longer acceptable and must end immediately,”
“The presence of herders on farmlands is no longer acceptable and must end immediately,” declared a communiqué signed by Shinyi Tyozua, Secretary of the Tiv Area Traditional Council.
The Council emphasised that these disruptions pose a grave risk of mass hunger within the kingdom and threaten to exacerbate Nigeria’s already precarious national food crisis, given Tivland’s significant contribution to the nation’s food supply.
The TATC called upon political and traditional authorities in the affected areas to take decisive steps, engaging directly with herders to ensure their swift departure from all farmlands. Furthermore, the Council urged the Benue State Government to “rise to the occasion” by providing the necessary security and logistical support to safeguard returning farmers and prevent any further occupation of agricultural lands.
The call echoes a general perception that the government of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has done little to curtail the violent attacks that persist in the state, which sees the Governor often urging the victim communities to live in peace with the aggressors. “We have a problem in our hands, and this problem did not start from somewhere,” Alia told an audience that included the Tor Tiv at a church service in Gboko in December 2024. “It started from within ourselves before external forces started leveraging on it to destroy us,” the priest-turned-Governor argued.
But the Tiv Area Traditional Council is running out of patience, following the severity and increased frequency of attacks on unarmed people. Failure to act swiftly, the Council warned, would lead to widespread hunger, instability, and economic hardship across Benue State and the country at large. The Tiv Area Traditional Council reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to defending the lives, dignity, and livelihoods of the Tiv people, making it unequivocally clear that the occupation of Tiv farmlands under any guise would no longer be tolerated.
The ultimatum is an official seal on the Tor Tic’s public position. His Royal Majesty, Orchivirigh Professor James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse, the Tor Tiv, previously called on the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to decisively address the criminal elements operating under the guise of herders.
During a meeting with MACBAN representatives, the paramount ruler acknowledged the group’s spokesperson’s statement that attributed the violence to criminal gangs but stressed that the ongoing crisis extends beyond traditional herders, encompassing “criminal herders who have infiltrated their ranks.”
“The difficulty with this issue is that we are dealing with both herders and criminal herders,” the Tor Tiv stated. “It’s like a situation where mechanics are going about their business and madmen have joined them, yet all are dressed the same. If you come here and tell us that a few criminal elements are spoiling the reputation of everyone, the first thing you must do is drive out the madmen among you.”
He maintained that the traditional herders known in Benue communities were peaceful and responsible. “The original herders we knew would use sticks to guide their animals, ensuring they did not destroy farmlands. That was the herder we grew up with,” he recounted.
“Deal with your internal issues. Don’t say you don’t know them. They dress like you, talk like you, and carry AK-47s like you. If they walk like you and kill like you, how can you claim they are not part of you?”
Referencing a past meeting of northern traditional rulers, where a statement suggested that cultural change cannot happen overnight, the Tor Tiv questioned what culture was being protected. “Is it the culture of killing and destruction? Because the nomadic lifestyle of old never caused problems, it never involved killing, land-grabbing, or rape.”
He condemned the violent actions of armed herders linked to killings, rape, destruction of farmlands, and displacement of local communities. “Any culture that kills, maims, and destroys does not deserve to continue. It must end immediately,” he asserted.
The traditional ruler assured that genuine herders who come in peace and abide by the law would always be welcomed. “If you come with herds, we will show you where the grass is green. But if you come to kill and destroy, that is an alien culture we cannot tolerate in Benue State.”
He had concluded with a pointed challenge to MACBAN: “Deal with your internal issues. Don’t say you don’t know them. They dress like you, talk like you, and carry AK-47s like you. If they walk like you and kill like you, how can you claim they are not part of you?”
Follow the AkweyaTV channel on WhatsApp: http://bit.ly/3I7mQVx
Or scan the QR code:
