Benue Killings: Tor Tiv Declares ‘Genocide’, Urges Tinubu to Act
By Chukwuebuka Chukwuemeka
Makurdi, Nigeria — June 18,
2025
In a powerful and emotionally charged address, the Tor Tiv, His Royal
Majesty Prof. James Ayatse, has decried the ongoing violence in Benue State as “genocide”
and not the often-described herder-farmer conflict. Speaking during a
high-level security meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Makurdi, the
paramount ruler of the Tiv nation emphasized that what is happening in the
state is a systematic and targeted attempt to displace the indigenous people
from their ancestral lands.
Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty Prof. James Ayatse
“This is not a dispute between
herders and farmers. This is genocide. Our people are being wiped out and their
lands taken,” Tor Tiv declared. He called on President Tinubu to immediately
recognize the gravity of the situation and deploy meaningful federal action to
end the bloodshed.
A Cry from the People
On the streets of Makurdi, the capital of Benue, the grief of the people has turned into protest. Local women, dressed in black, marched through the streets, singing dirges in Tiv and carrying placards that read: “We can’t go to our farms. If we do, they will kill us. Please come to our rescue!” These women, many of them widowed or displaced by recent attacks, expressed their anguish and helplessness as farming their primary source of livelihood has become a death sentence.
Legislators Raise Alarm
The Nigerian Senate has also
voiced its frustration. In a recent session, lawmakers described their
weariness over “endless condolence visits” as mass killings continue in Benue,
Plateau, Borno, and other conflict-prone regions. The Senate urged President
Tinubu to take urgent steps to restore law and order and prevent the complete
collapse of civil life in rural communities.
Security and Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The state police command recently confirmed the arrest and remand of ten suspected herders linked to recent deadly attacks. However, security remains fragile, and rural dwellers are fleeing in large numbers. Health workers in affected areas have reported increasing cases of trauma, malnutrition, and burnout among medical staff, with clinics overwhelmed and many communities lacking basic relief services.
The Next Steps?
The big question on the lips of
many is whether President Tinubu will rise to the moment. Will the federal
government officially recognize the killings as acts of genocide and not reduce
them to recurring “clashes”? Will there be a strategic deployment of security
forces to not just repel attacks but permanently secure vulnerable communities?
Traditional rulers and local
leaders are also pushing for the establishment of permanent IDP (Internally
Displaced Persons) settlements, provision of psychosocial support and relief
materials, prosecution of perpetrators of violence, and a national dialogue on
land use and indigenous rights
President Tinubu, who pledged
during the visit to “listen and act,” now faces a major test of leadership. For
Benue, time is running out.
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