The Tiv Nation's socio-cultural group, Mzough U Tiv Worldwide, said on Thursday that about 147 individuals were killed in the past two months in Benue State by suspected armed herders and militia groups.
The group also requested an apology from the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, for suggesting that Tiv people were involved in cattle theft.
Iorbee Ihagh, President General of the socio-cultural group and a retired Comptroller of Prison, made this statement on Thursday.
Ihagh expressed sorrow over the fact that data from the state's three senatorial districts showed 70 deaths in Zone A, 27 in Zone B, and 50 in Zone C.
He mentioned, “According to the available data, approximately 147 individuals in the state may have been lost to attacks by herdsmen militia over the past two months.
“The reported number of deaths is based on the information we have, but we believe that the actual number could be higher due to unreported incidents across the state.
“We may not have enough space to provide a detailed account of names and locations where these killings occurred over the last two months, but I am confident that these communities are well known, especially to the media.
“However, Mzough U Tiv will provide the number of recorded deaths resulting from the killings in the three senatorial zones of Benue over the last two months.
“During this period, 70 individuals lost their lives in Zone A (Benue North-East); of these, 20 deaths were directly caused by attacks from herdsmen, while the remaining 45 occurred with local militia groups in collaboration with herdsmen militia.
“In Zone B (Benue North-West), around 10 individuals were killed in Gwer West and 17 in Gwer East, totaling about 27 people who fell victim to attacks by bandits. In Zone C (Benue South), no fewer than 50 individuals were killed by these criminal elements.”
Ihagh also urged the Sultan of Sokoto and President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs to withdraw and offer an unconditional apology to the Tiv Nation for labeling Tiv people as thieves.
He explained, “The Tiv people have had a long-standing relationship with the Fulani people, where the Tiv, known for their exceptional farming, provide food to the Fulani in exchange for beef. The Sultan’s statement alleging that the Tiv people stole their cows during the peak of the killings in Benue was inappropriate for someone of his stature.
The leader of the Tiv socio-cultural group urged the Federal Government to address the insecurity in the state by strengthening the Operation Whirl Stroke, responsible for addressing insecurity in Benue, Taraba, and Nasarawa states.
