Tiv group faults Buhari over Fulani killings

By Baba Yusuf
Abuja
Abuja-based Club De Pals, a non-profit organisation comprising young professionals from the Tiv extraction, has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari on his failure to take decisive actions that will end the on-going killing of farmers and innocent citizens by Fulani herdsmen in Benue state.
In an open letter to the President, Club De Pals expressed concern that it was becoming worrisome that despite the global attention which the genocidal attacks in some parts of the state had generated, the federal government continues to pay lip service to a crisis that had claimed several lives.

Over 3,000 people have reportedly been killed and property worth hundreds of millions of naira destroyed since the crisis broke out in 2012.
According to the group, President Buhari and his APC-led federal government need to urgently treat the Benue crisis with the same seriousness being deployed to tackling the insurgency in the North-east, as the killings and destructions in Benue are as devastating as the Boko Haram operations in the North-east.
“The latest round of the crisis, which started in Agatu local government area with the killing of over 400 people in one single attack, has spread to Tarka, Makurdi, Guma, Logo, Katsina-Ala, Buruku, Gwer West, Ukum and Kwande local government areas of the state,” the group said.

Club De Pals noted that the attacks on innocent farmers by Fulani herdsmen who move freely with sophisticated weapons in the state were coming at a time the state Governor Samuel Ortom had just carried out an amnesty programme where dozens of arms were retrieved.
They, therefore, condemned the provocative comments by the spokesman of the Fulani socio-cultural group, Miyetti Allah (Cattle Breeders Association), Alhaji Banire, that the Fulani were responsible for the attacks in revenge for the killing of their cattle.
The group insisted that it was rather becoming clearer that the adventure of Fulani into the state was a well planned scheme to destabilise Benue people and possibly snatch their ancestral lands by some expansionists who are only operating under the guise of Herdsmen.

“We endorse the position of the Benue Caucus in the House of Representatives that we may resort to self-help if the national security establishment fails to protect us from these marauders as it is the case at the moment.
“We equally align with the demand of the Tiv, Idoma and Igede socio-cultural organisations, namely, the Mdzough U Tiv (MUT), Idoma National Forum (INF) and Omi Ny’Igede, respectively, that the Federal Government should immediately set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to launch a full- fledged investigation into the Fulani killings in Benue state.
The letter was jointly signed by leading members of Club De Pals, including Mike Tyowua, Teryila Uganden, Tom Chiahemen, Sylvester Kwen, Dr. Cletus Akwaya, Pamella Abellegah, Hon. Wuese Tyopev, Esther Miaphens, Patience Tarza, Engr. Toryila Zugu, Tarsoo Ade, and Mary Ordam.