…Stakeholders seek return of displaced population
By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
Stakeholders at the Tiv Taraba IDP Town Hall Meeting held on Wednesday in Kyado, Benue State, say over 3,000 Tiv people have been killed since April 1, 2019, while 300,000 have been displaced and more than 1,000 villages destroyed in the southern part of Taraba State.
The stakeholders called on Governor Agbu Kefas to fast-track the safe return of the displaced Tiv population currently taking refuge in Benue State back to their ancestral homes in Taraba.
Nigerian Tribune reports that the Catholic Bishop of Wukari Diocese, Most Rev. Mark Maigida Nzukwein, expressed concern over the recent wave of killings and continued displacement of people, particularly Tiv and Kuteb communities in southern Taraba. The Bishop condemned the recent attacks and killings in the Chanchanji ward of Takum by suspected Fulani militia, where over 70 Tiv people were reportedly killed within two weeks.
He called on President Bola Tinubu and the Taraba State Government to expedite action in ending the attacks and ensure the safe return of the displaced population to their ancestral homes.
Meanwhile, stakeholders at the meeting—which comprised traditional rulers, priests and pastors, community leaders, and others—identified that 283 Tiv villages in Wukari, 69 in Donga, 37 in Ibi, and several others in Takum LGAs remain abandoned, representing a displaced population of over 300,000 Tiv people since 2019.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by Mr. Solomon Iornem JP (Chairman, Planning Committee), Rev. A.Y. Waako, HRH Zaki John Ikyo, and others, the stakeholders decried the deplorable conditions of IDPs in Benue and appealed to Governor Agbu Kefas to facilitate their return to Taraba.
The communiqué reads in part:
“Following extensive deliberations on the conditions and challenges faced by the Tiv people of Taraba State, particularly those displaced by the ongoing crisis, stakeholders at the Town Hall Meeting arrived at the following observations and resolutions:
“The meeting observed that the Jukun–Tiv violent conflict, which began on 1 April 2019, is still ongoing, as internally displaced persons (IDPs) have not returned to their ancestral homes. Those who attempt to return continue to face renewed attacks and killings.
“The crisis has resulted in significant loss of lives across southern Taraba. Over 3,000 Tiv people have been killed since April 1, 2019, 300,000 displaced, and over 1,000 villages destroyed.
“The prolonged displacement has created severe humanitarian crises characterized by a high number of out-of-school children, lack of access to healthcare for children, women, and the elderly, increased vulnerability of youths to drug abuse, violent crime, and prostitution, as well as widespread hunger, poverty, and starvation.
“Ongoing attacks by herders on innocent farmers, especially in Chanchanji ward of Takum, continue to cause further bloodshed, destruction of farmlands, and worsening destitution among displaced Tiv communities.
“The proposed establishment of the Military Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Ikyaior and Jandekyula lacks transparency, adequate consultation, and community engagement, creating misunderstanding and tension.”
Resolutions
In view of the above, the meeting unanimously resolved as follows:
“We appeal to the Executive Governor of Taraba State, His Excellency Dr. Agbu Kefas, to urgently facilitate the safe return of Tiv IDPs to their ancestral homes.
“We reaffirm that the Tiv and Jukun are brothers and sisters, united by history, intermarriage, shared values, hospitality, and a long tradition of peaceful coexistence. We therefore pledge our commitment to peace and reconciliation.
“We call on the government to urgently constitute a Jukun–Tiv Ad-Hoc Peace and Reconciliation Committee, with equal representation from both ethnic groups, to address grievances, restore trust, and propose sustainable peace strategies.
“We appreciate Governor Kefas for his intervention in managing the Chanchanji crisis. However, we appeal for stronger measures, increased security deployment, and continued engagement, as attacks and killings persist.
“We call for the temporary suspension or review of the proposed FOBs in Ikyaior and Jandekyula pending proper community consultations, sensitization, and consensus-building in line with peace-building and confidence-restoration efforts.
“Stakeholders at the Tiv Taraba IDPs Town Hall Meeting express concern over the ongoing violence, displacement, and humanitarian suffering affecting Tiv communities across Taraba State. We believe that justice, dialogue, truth, and mutual respect are essential pathways to lasting peace.
“We call on the state and federal governments; traditional rulers; religious institutions; community-based organizations; development partners; security agencies; and all peace-loving citizens to work collectively to restore peace, rebuild trust, and facilitate the safe return and reintegration of affected persons.
“We reaffirm our commitment to peaceful coexistence, responsibility, and nation-building.”
