November 23, (THEWILL) – The Association of United Farmers Benue-Valley (AUFBV) has issued an ultimatum to Benue and Nasarawa State Governments to ensure the release of forty-two dead bodies of Tiv farmers allegedly killed in Keana Local Government area of Nasarawa State for burial before the 1st of December, 2024.
The group, which rounded up its week-long peaceful protest to press for the release of the bodies, alleged that it is uncultured for people of Tiv extraction not to have grave sites, warning that their patience is winding down.
Addressing members after a week-long demonstration between inter-border towns, Yelewata and Kadarko, the president of the Association, Chief Dennis Utsa, alleged Government neglect, mass invasion of farms, forceful dispossession and ejection of farmers from houses and killings.
“We demand the 42 missing corpses of Tiv farmers gruesomely murdered in Keana local Government headquarters in July 2024.”
In a letter of reminder dated 24th of January, 2024 and addressed to the governors of Nasarawa and States, Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 4, Makurdi and National Human Rights Commission, it said, they are registered farmers body of over 100,000 from Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba and Kogi States.
“We protest to register our grievance over the partisan inaction/actions of various governmental institutions in handling insecurity situations of our members living at the inter-border of Nasarawa and Benue with genocide meted on unarmed Tiv farmers and IDPs in Keana Local Government, leaving 42 dead bodies missing since July 2024.”
According to the group, the systematic killings in Keana on 26, 27 and 28 of June 2024, left them with a strong suspicion that Dr Margaret Elayo Keana, Prof. Allahnanna Otaki Keana, among others, allegedly masterminded the formation of Alago militias to carry out such barbaric act.
The AUFBV is also demanding to recover over N399,600 and N990,600.000 worth of various bags of malon, garri, maize, rice and theft of motorcycles in Keana market and local government area.
It, therefore, appealed to security agencies to conduct a search and recover weapons as well as dislodge bandits brought from Mali and Niger occupying their farmlands around the Benue and Nasarawa borders to pave the way for the return of ancestral farmers.
In their separate comments, the Chief of Yelawata, Zaki Julius Joor, decried the killing of his subjects, calling for proper boundary demarcation between the two states.
On his part, Mr Timothy Ikyapa, the face-off fingered since 2011 that has brought about their sack from the communities which Alago natives have come to lay claim of the land, while Mr Steve Seyi, Dominic Zaki, Samuel Songo, all alleged land grabbing in Giza, Madi communities sponsored by some traditional rulers there.
Commenting, the Publicity Secretary of the Mdzough U Tiv in Nasarawa State, Mr Benjamin Atsanger, alleged that the Government of Nasarawa State always deny the indigenous Tiv people of the state certificates of origin, appointments among others.
