Benue killings: Nasarawa group disputes Tor Tiv’s claims, calls for border demarcation

A socio-cultural group under the aegis of Alago Ikweyi Gbayi Development Union in Nasarawa State, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to direct the National Boundary Commission to, as a matter of urgency, carry out a physical assessment of the boundaries between Nasarawa and Benue States with a view to ensuring that the demarcation is properly done.

The group said the demarcation would help to tackle the persistent gunmen attacks that had continued unabated, and claimed several lives of innocent citizens, including children and pregnant women.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the President of AIGDU, Mohammed Oshafu and the Publicity Secretary of the association, Hassan Ozegya, and made available to journalists in Lafia, the state capital, on Sunday.

The appeal is coming on the heels of the statement made by the Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse, during President Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue State over the attacks on Yelwata, a community around Nasarawa and Benue states borders.

Professor James Ayatse had during President Tinubu’s visit claimed that his people who are indigenes of Nasarawa State are being oppressed, and their lands taken away from them, adding that they are being called non-indigenes of the state.

Meanwhile in the statement, the AIGDU’s President noted that the claim by the Tor Tiv that Tiv people were being oppressed in Nasarawa State, and the forceful taking of their lands was untrue, especially in Keana, Obi, and Awe local government areas where all the residents have been living peacefully and harmoniously.

He further noted that Yelwata is historically an Alago village which comprises of Alago and Gwandara tribes, adding that the Tiv tribe later joined them in the community.

The area is part and parcel of Keana local government area of Nasarawa State. Apart from colonial and other modern-day records, recently Google maps also confirmed that Yelwata is in Nasarawa State as originally demarcated.

“While this claim is not controvertible, our position is not in support of crisis and killings in our land that had peacefully welcomed all Nigerians and foreigners alike to settle peacefully and live together in harmony with our people,” he said.

The association further distanced itself from the claims and counter claims on the remote and immediate causes of the recent attacks on Yelwata, adding that all the skirmishes that are linked to the unfortunate incident which claimed several lives of innocent people are unknown to them.

According to AIGDU, the Tiv people do not have ancestral lands in the Keana, Obi, and Awe local government areas of Nasarawa State, stating that the Alago founders of the LGAs are the ancestors and owners of the lands.

However, the association while commiserating with the families of the deceased, associates and other Nigerians that were involved in the sad incident, commended President Bola Tinubu for his timely intervention and his condolence visit to access the devastating nature of the attacks, and also the level of damage on the affected communities.

“AIGDU wishes to register its sympathy with the people of Nasarawa State and Benue State, over the recent unfortunate attacks on the inhabitants of Yelwata, a community close to Nasarawa-Benue border where several lives were lost.

“Our appeal to President Bola Tinubu for the clear demarcation of the Nasarawa and Benue States border is to make the authorities and inhabitants of the two states know the specific points and extent of their respective jurisdictions for administrative, political, and economic roles in order to avert further infringement of peace, security and safety of the people in the area and the nation at large,” the statement added.