Fulani herdsmen sack 25 Tiv villages in Nassarawa

The Indigenous Tiv communities in Nassarawa State have cried out that their people in Kadarko, Keana Local Government Area of the state have been rendered homeless.

The ethnic group said their people in the area were under siege as 25 villages of the area have been sacked by herdsmen.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, weekend, a group under the umbrella of Concerned Indigenous Tiv People in Kadarko, Keana Local Government Area of Nassarawa State, claimed that since the Tiv people were displaced from their ancestral home as a result of the alleged herdsmen attack since 15th January this yea.

The group further alleged that despite the fact that the military had been drafted to the affected areas, the police were not properly liasing with the military for the military to credibly discharge their duty to get to the terrorists that sacked the villages.

The spokesperson of the group, Dr. Benjamin Agbede, expressed worries that though the area was being inhabited by other ethnic nationalities, like Alago, Eggon, Hausa, Igbo and others, Tiv people were allegedly selected target of the terrorists.

The group said, “As leaders of concerned indigenous people of Kadarko, under Keana Local Government of Nassarawa State, we are concerned with the security challenges confronting us and have decided to draw the attention of all and sundry about the killings, maiming and other security issues as well as the activities of the Nassarawa State Government and the security agencies; namely the police and the military personnel drafted to restore normalcy in the area.

“Since the outbreak of the crisis on the 15th January, this year, due to the Fulani/herdsmen attack on our villages, leading to the displacement of Tiv in their ancestral homes, the Nassarawa State Governor, Tanko Almakura, has done very little to bring the situation under control.

“As a father to all, he has not given the Tiv people any confidence that his government is willing and ready to protect them. This is because, his government has not provided the needed assistance in terns of providing food and the needed basic supplies to the displaced people who are now refugees in the R.C.M Primary School, Kadarko.

“It is on record that the governor visited the area and saw the dead bodies on the 30th of January, 2018, he merely directed that the corpses should be buried by the families of the deceased without any form of assistance. We are shocked that a paltry sum of N500,000 only was made available to be shared by the families of those killed and those in different hospitals.

“This amount is a mere pittance as non of the families got anything reasonable considering the share number of people killed and those hospitalized. For the avoidance of doubt, 12 people were killed and more than 30 are receiving treatment in different hospitals. The paltry sum given by the governor is a demonstration of the disdain and lack of care about the pernicious pain and plight of the Tiv people.

“We are deeply worried that the area is inhabited by other ethnic nationalities like, Alago, Eggon, Hausa, Igbo and others, it was only the Tiv people that were selected target of the terrorists. We are also bothered that the Police were quickly informed when the terrorists launched their attack at about 1:00am on the 30th of January, 2018, there was no swift response from them. We wonder why the police could nit respond on time to save the helpless people when they (police) were duly informed of the shooting, killing and maiming at Agwan Tiv. This is a clear case if a well designed and planned terrorist attack on the hard working Tiv indigenous people of Kadarko.

“Although, the military has been drafted to the area after the visit of the governor, it appears to us the police are not properly liaising with the military for the military to creditably discharge their duty to get the terrorists. We reliably learnt that each time the military makes an effort to get at the terrorists, the terrorists flee before the move could be executed thereby frustrating their arrest.

“For now, the Tiv indigenous people of Kadarko are under siege as 25 villages are completely deserted.”

According to the group, the deserted villages are Azer, Tamen, Bature, Agbara, Peter Agbede. Nguchi, Igbacha, Shatse, Gidan Sule, Ngur, Nyam Adaga, Cha, Tseiyo (Gidan Akpen), Ahima, Mori, Kpilaior, Che Tor, Chia, Anisa, Dooga, Mbamar, Rest house, Anom, Che Utsaha and Ikpe.