Benue Speaker asks FG to probeTiv/Fulani crisis

BY PETER DURU
MAKURDI — Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Mr. David Iorhemba, has urged the Federal Government to set up a panel of inquiry into the lingering Tiv farmers and Fulani herdsmen crisis that had in recent time claimed over 300 lives with over 15 communities sacked.

He also pleaded with the government to take decisive steps to disarm mercenaries whom he claimed had been deployed by the herdsmen along the Benue-Nasarawa borders.

The Speaker who addressed newsmen, yesterday, in Makurdi on the recent conflict in his constituency between Tiv farmers and herdsmen at Yogbo in Guma Local Government Area that claimed over 30 lives stated that the conflicts had taken a dangerous dimension resulting in persistent killings.

Iorhemba stressed that the persistent conflict had in the last one year subjected his constituents to untold hardship without any source of livelihood with most of their farmlands destroyed by the invaders.

He said: “We are disappointed that the Nasarawa state government has also repeatedly failed to check the influx of mercenaries who camp in their communities to  unleash havoc on my people, despite several moves by the Benue State government to arrest the trend.

“The unfortunate development has necessitated the need for the Federal Government to set up a panel of inquiry into the persistent bloodbath that has left most of the Tiv communities ravaged and desolated.”

The Speaker also urged the federal government to tag those behind the killings as terrorist advising that traditional rulers allegedly fueling the crisis should also be cautioned in order to avert further bloodbath in the affected communities

Iorhemba warned that if necessary steps were not taken to stem the killings, the Tiv nation would be forced to take its case to the United Nations.