By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
Traditional rulers and clergymen of Tiv extraction in Taraba State have appealed to Governor Agbu Kefas to fast-track the return of displaced Tiv communities in the southern part of the state and ensure lasting peace among ethnic groups, particularly the Tiv and Jukun.
The Chairman of the Taraba State Tiv Traditional Council, HRH Dr. David Gbar, made the appeal on Friday while speaking at a prayer session organised by Taraba indigenous internally displaced persons (IDPs) currently taking refuge in Benue State. The event was held in Kyado, Benue State.
Dr. Gbar, who expressed deep concern over continued attacks and killings of returning IDPs—especially in Wukari Local Government Area—called on Governor Kefas to urgently intervene in the interest of peace and development.
The traditional ruler, also known as the Ter Bali, decried the deplorable condition of his people who have been living in IDP camps since 2019. He lamented that the prolonged displacement has resulted in severe humanitarian challenges, including a high number of out-of-school children, lack of access to healthcare for children, women and the elderly, and increased vulnerability of youths to drug abuse, violent crime and prostitution, as well as widespread hunger, poverty and starvation.
“We do not have any other home apart from Taraba. We are indigenes of Taraba, not Benue State,” Dr. Gbar declared.
He further appealed to the Taraba State Government to end the continuous killings and displacement of Tiv people allegedly carried out by Jukun militias and armed Fulani groups.
> “We call on Governor Agbu Kefas to fast-track the return and peaceful reintegration of the Tiv people to their ancestral homes in southern Taraba State. The prolonged stay of my people in IDP camps has created severe humanitarian crises,” he said.
Dr. Gbar also appealed to the Aku Uka of Wukari to intensify efforts toward fostering unity and peaceful coexistence between the Tiv and Jukun ethnic groups.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Caretaker Peace Committee (CPC), Mr. Solomon Iornem JP, said the prayer session was organised to seek divine intervention over the continuous attacks on vulnerable Tiv communities in Taraba State.
Mr. Iornem accused security agencies of not doing enough to ensure peace in crisis-hit areas.
“It is unfortunate that security personnel are stationed on major roads while my people in southern Taraba are being killed and displaced on a daily basis,” he said.
He stressed that the Tiv people in the IDP camps are not from Benue State but are indigenes of Taraba.
“Since 2019, my people have been living in IDP camps in Benue State. It is over six years now. I cannot understand why they are not allowed to return to their ancestral homes in Taraba. I call on Governor Agbu Kefas and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and allow my people to return and live in peace,” he appealed.
He emphasised that the Tiv people are peace-loving and committed to peaceful coexistence and development.
Meanwhile, Prof. Tyodough Hemen Agere of the Federal University, Wukari, and Rev. Fr. Anthony Haanya of the Wukari Diocese condemned the recent attack on Chanchanji Ward of Takum LGA, where over 70 Tiv people were reportedly killed.
They also decried the continued attacks on returning IDPs, particularly in Wukari LGA, including the Wednesday coordinated attack on Tse Ajogo village near Rafin Kada, where 19 persons were killed while several others remain missing.
The stakeholders called for increased security deployment and sustained engagement, noting that attacks and killings persist despite existing security measures.
They further urged the Taraba State Government to 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.
Additionally, they called for the temporary suspension or review of the proposed Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Ikyaior and Jandekyula, pending proper community consultations, sensitisation and consensus-building efforts aimed at restoring confidence and promoting peace.
