Tor Tiv To Tinubu: Benue Under Genocidal Attack, Not Herder Crisis
The Tor Tiv and Chairman of the Benue State Council of Chiefs, His Royal Majesty Prof. James Ayatse, has told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the persistent violence in Benue is not a case of farmer-herder clashes, but a deliberate genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by terrorists.
Ayatse made the declaration during a stakeholders’ meeting with the President on Wednesday, challenging what he described as the misrepresentation of the crisis.
“This is not about communal clashes or reprisals,” the monarch said.
“It is not herder-farmer conflict as commonly reported. What we are witnessing is a well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion by herder terrorists and bandits. It’s been ongoing for decades and worsening yearly.”
He warned that such mischaracterisations had led to ineffective government responses.
“Wrong diagnosis leads to wrong treatment. This is war, not a neighbourhood disagreement. Calls for tolerance and peaceful co-existence miss the reality of what our people are facing.”
Benue has been hit by a new wave of violence, with over 100 people killed in coordinated attacks on Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area on June 14. By Sunday, the death toll reportedly exceeded 200.
The Tor Tiv urged President Tinubu to ensure that federal interventions match the true scale and nature of the crisis.
Responding, President Tinubu expressed concern over the rising insecurity and vowed to restore peace.
He instructed security agencies to intensify their operations and arrest the perpetrators of the killings.
The president’s statement comes amid increasing national pressure for decisive action in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where rural communities continue to suffer repeated deadly assaults.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
