“Stop The Killing Of Tiv In Nasarawa State” – Group Warns Al Makura
From Msughshima Andrew, Makurdi
A Tivย Socio-Cultural Organization called Mdzough U Tiv has called on Nasarawa state government to, as a matter of urgency, stop the extermination of Tiv indigenes of Nasarawa state.
This was contained in a statement signed by the group’s President General, Chief Engr. Edward T. Ujege and Secretary General, Dr. Boniface A. Ukende which also warned Al-Makura against donating any piece of land belonging to the Tiv people in Nasarawa for the establishment of cattle colonies.
The Association in a press statement tagged “STOP THE ETHNIC CLEANSING AGAINST TIV SPEAKING INDIGENES OF NASARAWA STATE NOW!” said it become imperative to write the Governor Al-Makura through an open letter to jog his conscience and remind him of inhuman atrocities taking place in his State, under his watch as Governor, against Tiv people who are indigenous to that state.
In the letter made availableย to 247ureports, the group said they have every reason to believe that Al-Makura may be fully aware of these events but have chosen to treat them with silence and passivity.
“Some of these atrocities pertain to the cattle colonies being proposed by the federal government to which you have indicated your administration’s willingness to donate land.
“We are further informed that you intend to use farmlands owned by the Tiv in Nasarawa State for the establishment of these colonies. We want to advise that you should in no way use the land of the Tiv speaking people in your state for colonies. You should rather think seriously about the enactment of the anti open grazing law as has been done by Benue and Taraba States”, the statement said.
“We also suspect that your acquiescence to the establishment of this ill conceived cattle colony on lands owned by Tiv speaking people of Nasarawa state is to enable your administration extend and perfect an evil plot to depict the Tiv ethnic group as non indigenes of Nasarawa State and evict them from their ancestral homes.
The group avered that recent occurrences in Nasarawa point towards an agenda of ethnic cleansing against the Tiv speaking indigenes of Nasarawa state following what they described as “systematic killings” of Tiv persons indigenous to Nasarawa State going on unchecked.
The group recalled that some Tiv people were killed in January 2018 in Awe local government also alleged that the people attacking Benue are either resident or transit Nasarawa state to Benue state saying as a good neighbour, Nasarawa should not be used as a launching pad, residence or transit route for attacks on their Benue neighbour.
They therefore appeal to security agencies to immediately refocus attention on the carnage in Nasarawa State with the intention of addressing them before a whole ethnic nationality will be wiped out.
While they appealed to their Tiv brethren in Nasarawa State to remain law abiding, the group also urged the Nasarawa state governmentย to take urgent steps to stop the silent killing of Tiv speaking citizens of Nasarawa State.
The group also called on Nasarawa state governmnet to create a conducive atmosphere for the IDPs to return to their homes and urged Al-Makura to embrace ranching as best world practice in animal husbandry.
