By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
A pressure group, the Ayatutu Cultural and Social Development Initiative (AYACASODI) Worldwide, on Tuesday decried what it described as a renewed attempt by the Taraba State Government to displace Tiv people of Wukari Local Government Area from their ancestral lands to make way for a Military Forward Operating Base (FOB).
In a press statement signed by its National President, Chief Timothy Baaki, the group condemned the development, describing it as a deliberate plot of ethnic cleansing against the Tiv people in Wukari, given the large portion of land marked for the proposed military facility.
Nigerian Tribune recalls that the Taraba State Government had earlier in 2024 and early 2025 moved to establish a military base and barracks in the area—an attempt that sparked widespread condemnation and protests before it was reportedly halted by the Federal Government.
However, on Saturday, September 27, 2025, a high-powered state delegation, led by government officials, visited the Ikyaior and Jandekyula communities and declared 150 hectares of land each for the establishment of the FOB.
Reacting to the move, AYACASODI expressed dismay, alleging that the decision was a veiled attempt to dispossess Tiv communities of their ancestral lands under the guise of building military infrastructure.
> “The Tiv people of Taraba are not against the establishment of military facilities for peacekeeping purposes, but designating 300 hectares of land in the aforementioned Tiv areas for a Forward Operating Base is a clear plot to evict the people from their ancestral lands, using the noble image of the Nigerian military as cover. This is highly condemnable and unacceptable,” the statement read.
The group insisted that the scale of land acquisition was excessive and unjustifiable.
> “We value and respect the Nigerian Armed Forces. However, the process in question is shrouded in injustice, exclusion, and hidden motives. A FOB does not require 150 hectares of fertile farmland. This excessive land grab is suspicious, unjustifiable, and unacceptable,” the group added.
AYACASODI further alleged that since the outbreak of the Jukun-Tiv crisis, the state government and military forces had acted with bias, preventing displaced Tiv communities from returning to their homes in Wukari and Ibi LGAs.
The group claimed that since April 2019, more than 320 Tiv villages had been destroyed, with over 280 still deserted and an estimated 280,000 Tiv people displaced across the state.
> “Instead of facilitating the safe return of these IDPs, the government is rather plotting to seize more land. This is a direct assault on the survival, identity, and dignity of a people,” the statement continued.
AYACASODI called on Defence Headquarters and relevant authorities to halt the plan and prevent what it described as the misuse of the Nigerian Armed Forces for ethnic and political purposes.
The group also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Assembly, the National Security Adviser, and humanitarian agencies to intervene urgently to safeguard the Tiv communities, ensure resettlement of displaced persons, and prevent what it called “a shameful plot of ethnic cleansing.”
When contacted, the Special Adviser to Governor Agbu Kefas on Media and Digital Communication, Hon. Emmanuel Bello, confirmed that the government delegation visited the affected communities but declined to comment further, referring our correspondent to the Wukari LGA Council Chairman for details.
However, efforts to reach Hon. Dauda Samaila, the Wukari LGA Council Chairman, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls or text messages as of the time of filing this report.
