June 19, (THEWILL) – The paramount ruler of the Tiv nation, HRM Prof James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to galvanise his usual courage and political will to end what he described as a genocidal invasion in Benue State, the dispossession of ancestral lands belonging to Tiv people in Keana, Obi and Awe local government areas of Nasarawa State.
He also urged the president to deal with the situation the way he dealt with similar situations in Kwara State and Kayama.
The Tor Tiv, who stated this on Wednesday, at the Government House, Makurdi, while presenting his speech to President Tinubu, unequivocally corrected the misinformation and misrepresentation of the security situation in Benue, stressing that the state is battling with a calculated, well planned full scale genocidal invasion and land grabbing campaign by Fulani herders, terrorists and bandits.
He regretted that Benue people who made patriotic sacrifices during the civil war to keep Nigeria united would rather be paying the supreme price for some decades that worsen every year.
The Begha-U-Tiv, however, commended President Tinubu for being the first president to visit Benue during such a security challenge and personally went to the site of calamity and appointment of Benue sons in his administration, especially Senator George Akume as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and Engr Prof Joseph Utsev, as Minister for Water Resources and Environment, approval of projects for the state and his cordial relationship and support for governor Hyacinth Alia.
The paramount ruler condemned the politicisation of the crisis by political leaders who indulged in passing blame and preferred the crisis persist to cause a State of emergency instead of joining hands to find a permanent solution for peace and development to thrive.
THEWILL recalls that last Friday, the suspected herdsmen invaded the Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area, killing and burning houses, after which over one hundred people were said to have died.
Several personalities, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, Senior Pastor Enenche of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, among others, have visited the community and condemned the attacks.
