Tiv and the Claim of Conquest by Jihadist

By

Chief Raymond Ihyembe

The Tiv were never conquered by the Fulani.

If the contrary were true, you would find Emirs in Tiv land, like they have everywhere the Fulanis conquered, including Ilorin!

Second, Tiv land or , for that matter,  Benue, would  be predominantly Muslim and would have Sharia Courts.

There are no Sharia Courts in Benue!
Benue has Customary Courts like the South.

Also, the Tiv are almost 100% Christian, which would be impossible in a Fulani/ Jihadist  conquered and administered territory!

Finally, Hausa Language would have become  the Lingua Franca in Tiv Land and Benue, but, it is not.

Any Benue person who speaks Hausa has to learn it like an Ibo or Yoruba or Efik or Edo person!

So, the claim by this Professor Umar, who is perhaps a Quota System Professor, is patently false as the tell tale finger prints of Fulani conquest do not exist in Tiv land or Benue State!

The actual historical facts are as follows:
The  Tiv were the last large ethnic group to be brought under British Rule in the early 1900s.
At the time the British finally subdued the Tiv, they were practicing extreme republicanism with no Central Chief through whom the Colonial Govt could administer the Tiv Territory through the Indirect Rule System of Govt.

The Southern Tiv ( Vandeikya  and Konshisha , Kwande, Parts of Ushongo Local Govts) were administered from Obudu and Ogoja .
The Northern Tiv... Ukum, Shitile, Ugondo, Tongov, Ikurav Tiev ,Tombo, Mbagen, Kusuv , and probably Ipav, were handed over to the Emir of Muri  and  were administered from Jalingo through the Indirect Rule System of Government.

They were never conquered but put there by the British  Colonial Govt to facilitate their administration through the Indirect Rule System.

The other parts of  Tiv land.. Iharev, Masev and Nongov were similarly placed under the Emir of Nasarawa for Administration.

The Tiv resented these arrangements greatly and did not pay any attention to the two Emirs ( Muri and Nasarawa).

As a matter of fact, when the Tiv vehemently complained about being placed under the Emir of Muri, for the simple reason that they did not have a Central Chief through whom they could be administered, the Colonial Govt transferred part of the Northern  Tiv from the Emir of Muri to the AKU  UKA of Wukari, which they also resented and treated with scorn!

The Tiv Division was subsequently created and all the Tiv Areas were brought together with the Capital  at Gboko. This was in the early 1920s.
The Southern Tiv who were administered from Ogoja Province were also brought back and the whole area transferred to the Northern Administration based in Kaduna to be administered from there.

It can be seen that the Tiv were never conquered by the Fulanis/Jihadists and the last battle fought with the Jihadists, which the Tiv roundly won, is referred to as the War of DAMKOR (Damfodio)!

BENUE MASSACRE: INJUSTICE AND THE DESECRATION OF HUMAN DIGNITY (The Conspiracy of Silence)

By

Most Rev. Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe
Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi

Being a speech presented at the Candle Light Procession and Inter-denominational Service organized by Vanguard Against Tiv Massacre (VATIM) and Community Development Coalition (CDC) in collaboration with Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)

At

The National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja

Introduction
I feel greatly honoured to be invited by the Benue sons/daughters to be part of this peaceful march and address the nation/world/human race here in Abuja, the capital of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Giving the recent ugly developments in Adamawa, Kaduna and very recently in Benue state, and the persistence of violence in our country, this gathering resonates with the challenges we face as a country in making responsible moral choices in the perilous and trying times in which we live, with ever spiraling cycles of sectarian violence. On a day such as this, we need to tell one another a thing or two, we need to look the other person in the face and say what we feel inside. I feel some furious anger, some hot anger inside me; yes we need to be outraged by events happening in our country or else, we will descend into total anarchy, with our pious or meaningless hypocrisy of political correctness. As a thank you for giving me this privileged opportunity to share some thoughts with you at this trying moment in the Benue valley, I bring you best wishes of the government and people of Benue.

It is seemingly impossible to maintain one’s equilibrium after witnessing the massacre of innocent and defenseless people in the face of harsh economic conditions. However, our role as God’s ministers is that of inspiring hope if we as a people accept responsibility for the situation in our country as divine chastisement. The pain is much and the wounds will take time to heal; without faith we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6-17) and this faith must be practical, (Jas 2:18). As leaders, the challenge we face demands that we take practical steps of faith to heal and restore the hope of the people. As leaders we must demonstrate the required tenacity to remove the national humiliation from our citizens whose dignity and rights have been abused.

THE NIGERIAN SITUATION

Let me begin by agreeing on one thing; no-one with any knowledge of the matter can underestimate the importance of this issue. According to Dennis Healey (British Politician).

History can be a dangerous guide, he argues, but it is practically the only useful guide we have. It is a far better guide than ideology, on which people otherwise tend to rely in interpreting the present and guessing about the future. But if you use history as a guide you must examine the differences from the past as well as the similarities.

For a long time in the history of our country we have been famous for trying our best to maintain the unity of our country through political and religious correctness. I am a son of a peasant farmer, who was also an astute politician, community and God fearing Church Leader. I must acknowledge that I have the privilege of enjoying the two sides of life: the rural and the urban. These are two worlds of hot anger and correctness. When the correctness does not work, you apply the hot anger by calling things by their names. This is what I learned from my father.

For a country that has known different types of violence ranging from civil war which came up at the dawn of our independence, to armed robbery, kidnapping, ethnic crisis, religious clashes, political killings orchestrated by political thuggery; Niger-Delta militancy, to other forms of violence; herdsmen terrorists, Boko Haram etc, which have brought a new and similar dimension to our experience of violence in Nigeria. According to Bishop Lucius Ugorji.

Its members combine the murderous suicide tactics of terrorists with guerilla modes of operation accompanied by virulent attacks…with impunity they kill and maim innocent people indiscriminately. The unspeakable evil made vivid in the horrific images of human beings butchered like animals; instills fear and trembling, traumatizes the populace and fuels a culture of violence which affectsthe psyche of young Nigerians.

This is not just murder, which displeases God, but this is genocide. When women even pregnant women and children are gruesomely murdered, then the attacks become genocidal and this is precisely what is happening in Benue. The Christian church totally condemns any assault, directly or indirectly on any human life, be it Tiv, Idoma, Fulani or any tribe as this is a direct transgression against God and humanity.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI points out that “those who kill by acts of terrorism actually despair of humanity, of life, of the future. In their view everything is to be hated and destroyed. (Benedict XVI address in Cotonou during his visit. 19th November, 2011).  On the same note, St. Pope John Paul II has this to add:
…when terrorist organizations…attack defenceless and unsuspecting people they show clearly the death-wish that feeds them…terrorism is built on contempt for life. For this reason, not only does it commit intolerable crimes, but because it resorts to terror, it is itself a true crime against humanity. (St. Pope John Paul II, 2002 message for World Peace).

I call on the federal government led by President Buhari to deal decisively with these attacks. The reverberation of these attacks in different parts of the country with the latest in Benue only spells one thing – division. This situation if not carefully and swiftly handled is capable of degenerating into a war situation. When those who are attacked feel not sufficiently defended by those who have sworn an oath to defend them, then the only option left is the rise to self-defense. This will simply bring about proliferation of arms and that becomes chaotic for a nation like Nigeria.

The insufficient actions and at times inaction (what I consider CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE) only point to a nod or an encouraging body language to the perpetrators of these attacks.I call on the United Nations, the European Union, and indeed the entire international community to come to the aid of the Tiv nation and the Benue people who are facing attacks in the magnitude of a genocide. Let me warn that the population of Nigeria is too big to manage a refugee situation; a stitch in time saves nine! (Let me share this story of a professional goalkeeper in a village. There was a fire outbreak in a four storey building in a particular village, and the fire began from the ground floor, people were jumping out from the windows, doors and any available opening. Right at the topmost floor, there was a woman who was nursing a baby of about a month old. She had the difficulty of jumping out and leaving the child behind, and any attempt to come out with her baby, the two of them would be burnt. So, neighbours came and were shouting, calling to throw the child down and she would not want to be deceived. So, they went and called in a famous goalkeeper in the village who was known for professional goal keeping. When the woman saw the goal keeper, she became happy and confident that her baby will be in safe hands. At that instance, she threw the baby down and the goalkeeper caught it rightly, and everybody applauded. In the euphoria that followed, the goal keeper thought that he was in the football pitch and forgot he was carrying a baby. Out of excitement, he kicked the baby back into the burning fire. This is our situation in Nigeria. We vote for our leaders with very high hopes, thinking they would be our messiahs. But on getting into leadership positions, they take us back into oblivion.)

STATISTICAL FIGURES
At this juncture I will like to briefly furnish you with some facts and figures regarding the refugee situation currently in Benue State. With the resurged violence of 1st January, 2018, record in Logo and Guma LGAs it is officially stated that over 73 persons, women, men and children were slain, although local sources put the figure at over 100 (those whose corpses were recovered.) The method of killings and degrading treatment given to women and children ranging from body part harvesting, beheading, torture, rape, strangulation, infanticide among others recorded can only be likened to genocidal activities like that of Rwanda in 1994 as well as those of ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

The conflict has reduced the human rights profile of the communities as over 100,000 have been displaced from Mbagber, Ukemberagya/Tswarev, Turan, and other council wards.

Currently, adhoc shelters are being sought as follows:

LGA
ADHOC IDP CAMP
ESTIMATED POPULATION

Logo
UBE Centre Ugba
1, 706

RCM Primary School
341

LGEA School, Abeda
1, 507

NKST School Abeda
234

Ashi Polytechnic Anyiin
5, 478

NKST Anyiin
12, 468

Guma
LGEA School Gbajimba
6, 829

St. Francis Church Daudu
5, 456

UNHCR Shelter Daudu
 4, 300

LGEA School, Torkula
3, 685

Total
42, 067

The data above may however be far below actually displaced persons as many households sampled reported that more than half of displaced persons were living with relations rather than camps. Perceived population of IDPs is placed at 140,000 in Logo and 93,000 in Guma.

Most of the camps are poorly constituted, lacking coordination. IDPs use classroom blocks as shelters with poor facilities making them vulnerable to preventable deceases.

Water supply is short in the IDP caps as the IDPs continue to rely on water sources of communities thus increasing the burden and competition over resource use. Food is in gross short supply because attempts made to return to the villages to mobilize food are repelled by the armed herdsmen who currently occupy those communities.

4. TERRORISM
“Terrorism” is the institutional violence of a fundamentalist. The word “terrorism” is politically and emotionally changed and this greatly compounds the difficulty of providing a precise definition. According to Bishop Lucius Ugorji, “since one man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter, there is no generally accepted definition of the term.

However, common definitions of terrorism refer to those violent acts, perpetrated for a religious, political, or ideological goal, that are intended to create fear (terror) and which deliberately target or disregard the safety of civilians. (cf Lucius Ugorji, a paper presented on the Christian Response on Fundamentalism.)
Terrorists can come from any social, political or religious group. It is very common among religious terrorists to hear rhetoric about “pure evil” or “Satan.” By characterizing their perceived enemies as satanic, they tend to justify hatred and even mass slaughter.

Herdsmen terrorists  
Things have been moving so fast that in this country that it is very difficult to keep up with them. The future of Nigeria is now impossible to predict; in fact you can say that if you are not confused you do not know what is going on. It is like pressing the fast rewind button on a video recorder and wondering whether it will stop in 1960, 1967 – 1970s, the 1980s -1990s (days of the military era) or when? Certainly I think anybody with a sense of history must reflect on the lessons of the past and not on ideologies. And if we do a good reflection, we will start by asking the right question. Hence, according to Dennis Healey:

The moment you have got the question rightly formulated, the possibility of a solution is imminent. Our duty now is to define that question, and to start working out the answer (Dennis Haeley: English politician, paper presentation, 27th February, 1984, London, England).
The simple question is; when has the Fulani herdsman started carrying sophisticated weapons “AK47 and not a staff as is typical of shepherds or pastoralists/nomads?This is a characteristic feature of shepherds as contained in Psalm 23:1,4 with your crook and staff, you lead them to greener pastures and not with AK 47, Revolver, or Pump Action Guns. Thus we classify this group of erdsmen as terrorists. They are out for ethnic cleansing going by their mode of operations. And there is no other word to describe it better than to say what is happening is genocide!

In my estimation, this is not something that should be taken for granted by anybody. We cannot remain silent in the face of this gruesome murder/massacre of the Benue people. Words by government leaders are inadequate when confronted with the absolute immorality and senselessness of the murder of these people. We look for rational understanding of something that is beyond human comprehension. We seek definitive answers. We demand that action/proactive action be taken now to bring those involved to judgment and stop further bloodshed.

The style of killings left no one in doubt that it was a manifestation of absolute evil. According to Gerhard Schroder, German Chancellor 1998-2006 talking about the holocaust on 25thJanuary, 2005, in Berlin has this to say:

Evil is not a political or scientific category but after Auschwitz, who could doubt that it exists, and that it manifested itself in the hate driven genocide carried out by the Nazi regime?

He continued;

“Noting this fact does not permit us to circumvent our responsibility by blaming everything on a demonic Hiltler. The evil manifested in the Nazi ideology was not without its precursors. There was a tradition behind the rise of this brutal ideology and the accompanying loss of moral inhibition. Above all it needs to be said that the Nazi ideology was something that people supported at the time and that they took time in putting into effect.”

If one would ask; who owns this herds of cattle, is it the Fulanis in the bush or those in political offices. Who buys these weapons for them?And why are they carrying about unlicensed weapons? It is easy to know why the leaders of our country are keeping quiet; as long as the destruction lasts.
The past cannot be overcome, it is the past. But its traces and above all, the lessons to be learned from it extend to the present. There will never be anything that can make up for the horror, the torment and the agony that took place in Guma/Logo local government areasof Benue State on the early hours of 1st January 2018. It is only possible to provide the families of those who died and the survivors a certain amount of compensation.
It is true, the temptation to forget is very great, because many of us are perhaps interested in making statements that are politically correct and not facing the reality of the injustice and the desecration of human dignity by the herdsmen possibly based on their ideologies.
At this point, it is good for our leaders to know that:

“The United Nations Convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide was a direct effect on the holocaust on international law. It requires people of different cultural, religious, and racial origins to respect and protect life and human dignity throughout the world. (The convention was framed by the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland in December 1948, and came into force in January 1951.)

This law is binding on Nigeria as a member state under the United Nations and so we demand that the perpetrators of this genocide in Benue and other parts of the country must be brought to face the law.

LET THIS KILLINGS BY THE HERDSMEN TERRORISTS BE REMEMBERED FOR A PURPOSE 
Remembrance of the sad event of the killings by the herdsmen terrorist and where it has happened in this country is an essential component in fashioning the future. The speech this evening in the National Ecumenical Centre does not limit itself to lamentations over human wickedness, nor to dwelling on the message of hope in adversity provided by Psalm 2 – a sacred text for all religions. By the words of this Psalm, we know that faith can be applied practically to forestall the evils perpetrated under a godless ideology. These words of the ancient Psalm rise from our hearts:

I have become like a broken vessel. I hear the whispering of many-terror on every side-as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life. but I trust in you O Lord; I say, “You are my God.”

Using the words of St. Pope John Paul II in his address to the Jews in Jerusalem on 23rd March, 2000 says:
We are overcome by the echo of the heart-rending laments of so many. Men, women, (the aged), children, infants, cry out to us from the depths of the horror that they experienced. How can we fail to heed their cry? No one can forget or ignore what happened; no one can diminish its scale.

We wish to remember those our brothers and sisters, our children and women and our parents. We wish to remember them for a purpose, namely to ensure that never will evil prevail. How could man have such utter contempt for man? Because he had reached the point of contempt for God. Only a godless ideology could plan and carryout the type of disgustful killings of fellow human beings.
But amidst all this pain which we are going through now; we believe and trust in God and our Lord Jesus and recognize that:

Not even in the darkest hour is the light extinguished. Thus the entire bible, though well aware of the human capacity for evil, also proclaims that evil will not have the last word. Out of the depths of pain and sorrow, the believer’s heart cries out: “I trust in you, O Lord; I say you are my God, in you O Lord, I have taken refuge, deliver me in your righteousness. Psalm 31.

As a Christian, and a Catholic, my religion teaches me and my spiritual experience demands that we overcome evil with Good. We remember, but not with the desire for vengeance or as an incentive for hatred. For us, to remember is to pray for peace, and justice for all.

RECOMMENDATIONS
One of the initial steps recommended is to conduct a rapid needs assessment to determine required immediate support.
The federal and state government should mop up all the adhoc camps into few central IDP camps and put in place a camp a management system as well as facilities.
Food and non-food items should be supplied to IDPs at the camps and within communities. Supplies should address the food needs of children differently from adults.
Security should be reinforced at the IDP camps to forestall attacks and other crimes associated with insecurity at the camps e.g. trafficking in persons and drugs.
Psychosocial First Aid should be provided for survivors wit stress symptoms like flash suicidal ideation and severe post traumatic stress disorder.

Basic health care support should be provided especially immunization and anti/post-natal services for children and expecting mothers. Specific attention should be paid to de-worming, flu attacks and other communicable diseases like Hepatitis B.

A national dialogue on pastoralism and insecurity should be convened to develop strategic roadmap to ending armed violence by herders. Priority should be on breaking of mercenaries and smuggled migrants, financing networks for the violence, hate speeches etc. a charter of commitment to end the violence should be developed and signed by security agencies, leadership of pastoralist organization and other key stakeholders.
A truth and justice reconciliation programme should be launched to promote forgiveness, healing and reintegration. The models used in Rwanda and Sierra Leone following genocide and civil war respectively should be adopted. Religious leaders in the state should facilitate this process.

CONCLUSION
Pope John Paul II admonished us on the need for peace in these words: “Do not be afraid to take a change on peace, to live peace…peace will be the last word of history.” “Social justice cannot be attained by violence. Violence kills what it intends to create.” And in Cf words of Nelson Mandela, “The sight of freedom looming on the horizon should encourage us to redouble our efforts.”

Dear friends in Christ, Albert Einstein once said “the world will not be destroyed by those who do evil but by those who watch them without doing anything.” It is my hope that our efforts here today will be able to yield the desired results as we continue to work towards bandaging the wounds of our people and giving them hope.

Together with you this evening, I bow my head before the victims of the crisis whose 73 corpses we buried on 11th January, 2018 in Makurdi. Even if one day the names of the victims should fade in the memory of mankind; their fate will not be forgotten. They will remain in the heart of history. 

A HOMILY DELIVERED ON THE OCCASION OF THE INTERDENOMINATIONAL FUNERAL SERVICE AND MASS BURIAL OF VICTIMS OF THE RECENT GENOCIDAL ATTACKS BY DIABOLIC, CRIMINAL TERRORISTS IN BENUE STATE, ON JANUARY 11, 2018 AT IBB SQUARE, MAKURDI

By

MOST REVD WILLIAM A. AVENYA
(Catholic Bishop of Gboko)

1. Introduction

My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

We all know the reason we have all gathered here today. It is to pay our last respect to our brothers and sisters whose remains are before us; pray for the repose of their souls; beg God for fortitude and strength to bear the irreparable loss and solicit for peace in our State. Our deceased brothers and sisters have suffered the fate of dying gruesomely, dying under intense and inhuman torture, dying in an undignified manner for no fault of theirs. We also remember not only those lying here before us today but by extension all those who have been killed since the beginning of these attacks perpetrated by diabolic, criminal terrorists. May the blood of these martyrs bring healing to our land, may their death usher in a new dawn of peace in Benue State, may the excruciating torture they experience unite the people of Benue sate more than ever, and usher in a culture of civilization of love, true justice, peace and end the culture of impunity in our land. We also in a special way remember all those who are affected directly or indirectly due to the orchestrated massacre, but particularly those who are recovering from the injuries sustained due to the unwholesome attacks. We pray for healing and spirit of forgiveness.

2. Recent Genocidal Attacks in Benue State in Brief

On this day, it is important to recall in brief, the historical antecedence of these attacks. The Benue people in different parts of the State have been under siege from armed terrorists for protracted period of time. These attacks have been unrelenting, brutal, bloody, gruesome, barbaric, and indeed unjustifiable on innocent and vulnerable peasant communities. They have gradually carried the hallmark of genocide and led to the killings of our people in their thousands; several houses and farms have been destroyed, resulting in high rate of poverty and dependency, and with many children out of school. It is on record, that out of the 23 local government areas of the State, the criminal terrorists have unleashed terror in 14 local governments. Those mostly affected in the North West Senatorial District are Katsina-Ala, Logo, Ukum and Kwande. In the North East Senatorial District, they have attacked Guma, Gwer West, Gwer East, Buruku, Tarka, and Makurdi; while in the Benue South, they have attacked Ogbadibo, Agatu, and Apa.



3. Our Collective Silence

As we gather to pay tribute to the victims both living and dead of the killing rampage in our state, killings that are really genocides against a defenseless people, we have for the most part remained silent both as individuals and groups. It will be recalled that silence was maintained by the international community in the past concerning the holocaust in Germany against the Jews in 1933, the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 against the Tutsis, the ethnic cleansing against the Armenians in 1992-1995 and until recently, the failure of the world to stand up against the Rohingya persecution in Myanmar. All these, have stained the moral conscience of the world.

Here in our country, the government has in several instances remained silent on issues involving genocide against the people in local governments like Katsina-Ala, Logo, Ukum, Kwande, Guma, Gwer West, Gwer East, Buruku, Tarka, Makurdi, Ogbadibo, Agatu and Apa as earlier mentioned.

History is replete with the sacrifices made for the nation by the people of Benue State; the sacrifices of Benue indigenes and the blood shed for the unity of the Nigerian nation. Now, it seems, our pay back for this sacrifice is the silence and sometimes seeming complicity in the senseless killings, the wanton destruction of the means of livelihood and impoverishment of our people.

4. General Elections in 2015

We had high hopes in 2015 general elections that ushered in a new government; expecting a nation that defends the weak against the powerful, a nation that will protect itself not only against terrorists in the North East, but also unarmed farmers, against vicious terrorists masquerading themselves as herdsmen whose expansionist territorial appetite seems to be insatiable and to the conquest of the Benue Valley.

What has happened recently in Benue state may be called anything except a communal clash. It will be recalled that Benue people voted overwhelmingly for the government in power, yet what we get in return are the dead that are lying here. Lack of federal presence is exemplified in the broken federal roads from Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina-Ala, and Otukpo-Enugu that cast doubts on responsible leadership or leaving one to wonder whether there is any government in this country at all.

5. Some Consoling Biblical Texts

Man’s inhumanity to man is an old phenomenon; right at the beginning of the Bible, we are told that Cain killed his brother Abel. Every normal person who reads that story is shocked by Cain’s wickedness, and each time such a brutal and vicious act is repeated, it is difficult to understand why God allows such things to happen. In 2 Maccabees 12: 43-45, Judas Maccabeus led his army in battle, and discovered afterwards that God permitted some of the Israelites to be killed.

Time and again, precious lives and property have been destroyed in innumerable numbers in Benue state. Again one will ask why God would allow such outrageous massacres to be carried out repeatedly.

Brothers and sisters, while it is proper to raise this question, we are here not to attempt to answer the question or how God might judge the moral grey areas of human acts. We are gathered here to pray for our innocent, defenseless and vulnerable brothers and sisters, including children who were brutally murdered in cold blood.

The need to pray for the dead is highlighted in 2 Maccabees 12: 43-45. The passage shows that the pious Jews believed in praying for the dead; a practice, which proves that there is life after death (cf. Lk 20:27). It shows that praying for the dead was done prior to the time of Christ, and the Letter to the Romans states categorically that “we do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Rm 14:7-8). Indeed, the early Church continued the practice of praying for the dead, and hence it is praise worthy that we are gathered here in huge numbers to commend the souls of our slain beloved brothers and sisters to the Lord.

As we pray for the peaceful repose of our Benue martyrs, past and present, let us be consoled by the Maccabean text that affirms belief in life after death. This consolation is intensified in the Letter to the Romans 8:31-39, Paul is astounded by God’s unconditional love for all humankind and he offers three assurances, namely; i) that if God is for us, there is nobody or nothing that can be against us; ii) there is no condemnation of anyone, because in the death and resurrection of Christ, we are all justified (Rm 8:33-34); and iii) nothing can separate us from the love of God, be it tribulation, anguish, famine, nakedness or peril, persecution, the sword or death (Rm 8:35-39).

In this regard, death does not separate our slain beloved brothers and sisters from God’s love. We will always be led to victory in Christ because God is for us and there is no separation in our relationship with God by death. This passage should, therefore, comfort and console the immediate family members and relatives of our deceased brothers and sisters; indeed all of us.

In Jn 11:1-44, Mary and Martha separately say to Jesus “if you had been here my brother would not have died but even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him” (Jn 11:21, 32). This is our conviction and prayer too that God should grant eternal rest to our slain beloved brothers and sisters.

6. Schools of Thought

i. Fulani Pastoralist: The Fulani man that we know was at peace with his neighbour not criminal and diabolic. The Fulani man that we know used a shepherding stick but not an AK 47 riffle. Of course society is dynamic and keeps changing. So a Fulani man may not only walk on foot but move on a motor bike; he not only drinks fula de nono but drink beer and eat pepper soup. These are indices of a changing society. Hence, we call on the Fulani man to adapt to the modern world view and engage in activities that will be beneficial both to him and to society in general.

ii. Cattle Colonies: Recently, it was on the news that the Federal Government through the office of minster of agriculture desires to introduce an interim measure to forestall the regular clashes through the establishment of Cattle Colonies. We wonder if the Federal Government has blessed the anti-open bill that was recently passed into law in Benue state and assisted in providing a more sustainable measure for its implementation. While we applaud the good intention concerning the cattle colonies, we call on the Federal Government to animate the full force of the law on the anti-open grazing bill in Benue state.

iii. Anti-Open Grazing Bill: Given the changing trends of time, the Benue state Government and the Benue House of Assembly have after consultation with the Benue people passed into law the anti-grazing open bill. This Bill was received by the people of the State with a popular acclamation. We have to acknowledge that this is world best practice as far as care for our people is concerned. Unfortunately, we doubt if the bill has enjoyed the full support of the Federal Government. All we want is ranches. Let there be ranches and there will be peace in the land. This is our appeal.

7. Commendation

We commend our Holy Father Pope Francis for his singular response to the plight of Rohingya people. For our own, we commend the sons and daughters of Benue home and abroad, for their efforts to raise international awareness about the persecution of our people and their efforts towards lasting solution to this recurrent crisis. While we notice the rapid response from non-governmental organizations, and other agents, when these happen, these services regrettably most often come in the aftermath of the mishap. We are equally grateful to Nigerians who genuinely angry and have expressed solidarity with the Benue people. We call on the various governments and agencies in our nation to put in place practical measures to prevent the re-occurrence of this crisis.

We recognize the unflinching efforts of the Benue State Government under the leadership of Samuel Ortom to protecting lives and property. We commend his Amnesty program that recovered about 700 arms and ammunitions and over 800 youths giving up arms. We also acknowledge the desire of the Benue State government for her efforts towards constant peaceful-coexistence and his support in the passing into law anti-open grazing bill. On this note, we also appreciate the efforts of the traditional rulers, security agencies, nongovernmental organizations, media, relief-service providers, Church bodies, and numerous men and women of good will who are offering one service or the other towards the our sustainable peace in the land.

8. Conclusion

The people of Benue cannot be forgotten in the history of our nation. Our contribution to national growth cannot be overemphasized. In spite of all odds, we are committed in keeping the spirit of Benue alive. These attacks are nonetheless ways of crippling our economic and political force and therefore making us extinct as a people. We hereby condemn in totality the inhuman, brutal, barbaric, gruesome murders of our people. We maintain that no one has any justification to take life. We reiterate our commitment to the protection of life from the moment of conception to natural death.

All we desire is a nation, we would all be proud of, a nation where like the message of Christmas we have just celebrated reminds us the instruments of war, will become instruments of peace as prophet Isaiah says: “he shall judge among the nations and shall rebuke many people and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up swords against nations neither shall they learn war anymore (Is 2:4). We were heartened to hear at the advent of our new government, the words of our President ‘he belonged to everybody and to nobody’.

In the words of a Lutheran Pastor, Martin Niemoller we call on everyone to be actively involved in the efforts for peaceful co-existence in Nigeria. He is reported to have said

“They first came for the communist and I did not speak up because its a communist, then they came for the Jew but I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew, then they came for the trade unionist and I did not speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist, then they came for the Catholics and I didn’t speak up because I was a protestant...” (let me interrupt the quote) then they came for the Tiv and I didn’t speak up because I was not a Tiv, then they came for the Idomas and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t an Idoma) “then they came for me and by that time, no one was left to speak up”

Ultimately, it is God who brings peace and we have to turn to him to bless our land with lasting peace. Amen.

1. May the Spirit of Benue arise !
2.May the spirit of Nigeria arise!
3. May the spirit of the middle belt arise!
4. The spirit of Benue  must not die!

A Call for Establishment of Pig Colonies in Northern Nigeria

Copied:

National Secretariat
Nigerian Association of Piggery Farmers
Abuja                        

12/01/2018

His Excellency Mohammadu Buhari
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
State House
Abuja

Dear Mr. President,

DEMAND FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF PIGGERY COLONIES

The National Association of Piggery Farmers deplore the marginalization of the association by the Federal Government. Our pigs have been variously targeted for elimination in several Northern states. Those Sharia compliant states have refused to allow our legitimate business to thrive. Our members have been hounded and harassed by the Hisbah Police and others. We deplore this.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture has paid deaf ears to out plight. Our members demand that the marginalization must stop in order to forestall the breakdown of Law & Order.

From the foregoing, NAPF thus demand the following:

1. Equal opportunities for all farmers and herders throughout the federation

2. We demand for a 20 hectare Piggery Colony in the 19 Northern States especially Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, Bauchi, Niger, Borno and Gombe

3. We demand the National Assembly to pass a law on Piggery Colonies in all Northern states

4. We demand that a section of the Nigerian Army be employed in the protection of pigs and pig farmers

5. We demand the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to set aside a budget for the importation of Pig Feed from Argentina

6. We demand a special department of Piggery in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

Dear Mr. President, we are a law abiding association. We prevent our members from being provoked by the government-backed Hisbah/Islamic horde that aim to destroy our pig farmers. We shall not be involved in attacking and killing the anti-piggery people in the Sharia States. If these things are not done, we can no longer guarantee that our members would not deliberately target our transducers!

With esteemed regards,

Ogbuefi Animam Eze
National Secretary
Nigerian Association Piggery Farmers (NAPF)

Cc: MoA
Cc: MoD
Cc: Presidency
Cc: Ohaneze
Cc: Afenifere
Cc: NDA
Cc: NSDSM
Cc: Nzuko Umunna

The Orgy of the Benue Killings and the Possibility of “Stand Alone” Solutions

The Orgy of the Benue Killings and the Possibility of “Stand Alone” Solutions 

By Richard Akase Inyamkume

I am neither a Biblical scholar nor a Theologian, but I have read in the Bible as it is written “... unless the Lord guards a city, in vain does the watchman keeps watch”. This part of scriptures reminds all of us that there is a creator who is responsible for safeguarding his people and watching over them, especially during moments of uncertainty. Until we begin to see him as our protector, no human security or guard can be able to see us through. Though this may sound religious, it’s weight cannot be measured using any earthly scale. 

We have watched, and some people have even experienced the incessant killings of some Benue citizens by invaders.  So many human lives have been lost, food crops and vegetation, as well as personal effect have been destroyed during the unfortunate events that happened. Various concerns have been raised following the persistent invasion and territorial violations of Benue State yet, solutions to the problem continues to be a subject of discussion, often times yielding little or no positive outcomes. 

There are those who think that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria empowers the President and Governors to ensure that human lives and rights of citizens are protected. This is very correct. But if one would ask, in a situation where the government fails to protect the people, what should be the best alternative course of action? Or should the people wait onto the government until they enter the graveyard?

The Benue people that I used to know were warriors. Not because they were lawless, but because they resisted undue invasion of their territory. They were Lions, Lioness and Tigers that always stood up to confront situations. I cannot remember reading anywhere in history where the Benue man took to his heels or went flat on his belly crying for external help to repel an enemy. But today, this is happening. Our streets are flowing with spilled blood and there is pandemonium nearly everywhere. Our people are shedding tears and calling on the government to come to our aid but there seems to be a conspiracy of silence by those in position to prevent or reverse the situation.

Never in history were the Benue people so porous or less powerful before any group as it is happening today. Was it during the Nigerian civil war or during the Tiv-Jukun crisis? Or do I have to  go on and on recounting our victorious stories?

Oh Benue man, what is happening to your Traditional institutions? Where have you left your gods? Where have you left your own ancestral beads? 

Oh Benue man, why are you crying under the scorching sun? Are you sure you have not desecrated your land? Is God still marching with your armies? 

Look at the level of underdevelopment in our state. There is abject poverty in our land. Hunger and economic stagnation stares us in the face. Our social structures have become dilapidated. Our social contract with the state is falling apart and nothing has been done restore it. 

We attend religious activities more than anyone else yet, our hearts are very far from God. 

Could it be that our fathers had eaten unripe grapes and we the children’s teeth are set on edge? 

I know we can stand alone and find solutions to our problems if the government fails to protect us. Here are three viable approaches to solving our present predicaments; divine, traditional, and human solutions. 

ON DIVINE SOLUTION

There is an urgent need to consecrate Benue State to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. All church leaders in the state should come together before the end of January 2018 and organize a SEVEN days revival and reconsecrate Benue to God. The revival should hold simultaneously in each local government in the state and citizens should mobilize themselves and participate in the sacred Assembly. This solution is the most fundamental and effective way to go back to our lost fortunes. If the Lord speaks, we should listen to his voice. Once the Lord revisits Benue State, our salvation will come back to us. Never in history was it know or heard that God turned his back on his own people. The Benue people are people after God’s own heart. 

ON TRADITIONAL SOLUTION 

It is very possible that we have broken an ancestral covenant. Some of the numerous traditions that were handed down to us might have been distorted by greedy or selfish individuals. This can cause a lot of negative energies to affect a people. We need to revisit our ancestral home to find out what is the problem. Our respective Benue traditional Councils should swing into action and the results would be positive, better imagined than said. I believe we can even get traditional fortifications against the invasion of the State and solve other problems such as stagnation and infertility of the land, bad leadership, bad blood…at no cost. Tradition is  a veritable tool in the hand of the African. Let's explore this options. 

ON HUMAN SOLUTIONS

It is about time for government to revisit the case of the call for the establishment of community police. It is another best way to handle issues of external aggressions at the grassroots. The best defense comes from within not from outside. If local vigilante groups are properly formed and equipped for the job, they will be able to repel our enemies. We need not go on recruiting personnel, each member of a household in a village should join the vigilante. Government should invest more in the production of local guns, and weapons of defense and the police should supervise the handling of such ammunition by civilians. This is a lasting solution. 

 It is clear that we are alone in this fight but we would not give up. This is time to be awake and get working.

If the Federal Government is paying deft ears to our call and our politicians and representatives at the respective positions are slow to respond to our SOS call, we need not wait any longer but stand on our feet. Ours is not a mission to kill, but a mission to defend. It is a just war principle that will assist us to live peacefully in our own God given land. 

The truth is that, our stand alone solutions if engaged together at the same time will yield much better results more than we could ever think of. 

Never again should there be blood letting, never again should there be invasions… the Lord is going before us to destroy our enemies and make them confuse and put them under our authority. 

#wecanstandalone

TIMELINE OF FULANI HERDSMEN ATTACKS ON BENUE STATE FROM 2013 – 2018

TIMELINE OF FULANI HERDSMEN ATTACKS ON BENUE STATE FROM 2013 – 2018

This narrative is a summary of attacks by Fulani herdsmen on Benue communities. These attacks have persisted for several years, long before the present administration. Unfortunately and sadly, both federal and state government have not applied the required force of law and security to end the attacks. The present Buhari-led administration has worrisomely remained indifferent in the face of the killing of defenseless people of Benue. The president's indifference, silence and inaction has stimulated reactions in several quarters. To many analysts, the president has been silent because the perpetrators (Fulani herdsmen) are his kinsmen, and he is a grand patron of the cattle breeders association of Nigeria, and wielding in appropriately will amount to attack on his people. Whether this assertion is true or false, it validates logical reasoning. The president has no choice because he was voted into office to protect all Nigerians, not only his kinsmen.

Throughout the years the attacks have occurred (up to more than two years of during the present administration), it is only now, in the January 2018 brutal attacks that killed several people, wounded and destroyed several properties, as well as displacing communities that the president broke his silence by issuing a statement condemning the killings. The Minister of Interior also visited the state on Thursday, January 4, 2018 to assess the impact of the attacks. It is also, only now, we hear and read in the media, the arrest of 6 Fulani herdsmen in connection with the attacks. Previously, negligible arrests were rumoured but to this day, no one has been reported convicted.

Frustrated, Benue people, led by the Governor and the House of Assembly enacted Anti-Open Grazing Prohibition Law as a legal framework to establish peaceful co-existence between herders and farmers. The Law, which seeks to protect both farmers and herders (against encroachment on farmlands to destroy crops and cattle rustling with clearly defined punishment for all offences thereto) has been vehemently opposed by the Fulani herdsmen. Properties of the opposition to the Law include: issuance of press statements, challenging the Law in court and issuance of threats. Not one of the leaders of the Fulani herdsmen have been arrested for their inciting statements widely available in the public space.

The January 2018 attacks could have been averted, as for several weeks, there trended on social media, updates alerting of plans by the Fulani herdsmen to attack some Benue communities. The social media updates were calling on security agencies to stay alert to avert actualization of the attacks. These calls were not heeded until they came to fruition on the first day of 2018. The situation is getting to a point where Benue people may have to sheat due processes and defend themselves, if security agencies and government continue to act indifferent. Benue people are peace-loving and do not want to engage in any illicit form of defense but rather open to propagating the incidences of the brutal killings of Benue people by Fulani herdsmen for the world to know, and call for concerted engagements that will put an end to the unprovoked killings, now, and in the future. (Dan Kwen)

For hindsight, the following attacks on Benue communities have been carried out by Fulani herdsmen between 2013 and 2018:

1.          February 2013, Fulani attacked Agatu, burning Inoli, Ologba, Olegeje, Olegogboche, Olegede, Adana, Inminy and Abugbe communities. Many lives were lost.

2.                  April 23 2013, 10 farmers killed in an attack on Mbasenge community in Guma LGA by suspected herdsmen.

3.                  May 7, 2013, 47 mourners gunned down in Agatu while burying two policemen killed the previous Tuesday in Nassarawa.

4.                  May 14, 2013, Over 200 herdsmen surround Ekwo-Okpanchenyi, Agatu LGA killing 40 locals.

5.                  July 5, 2013, 20 people were killed in a “conflict” between Tiv farmers and herdsmen at Nzorov, Guma LGA, Benue state.

6.                  July 31 2013, herdsmen invaded 2 villages in Agatu LGA killing 8 villagers allegedly in retaliation for the killing of 112 cows

7.                  November 7, 2013, herdsmen strike at Ikpele and Okpopolo communities killing 7 and displacing over 6000 inhabitants.

8.               November 9, 2013, 36 locals killed by herdsmen and 7 villages overrun in an attack by herdsmen on locals in Agatu LGA.

9.          November 20, 2013, Attack on communities in Guma LGA, killing 22 locals and destroying properties worth millions of Naira.

10.         January 20, 2014, Armed herdsmen attacked Agatu LGA, killing 5 soldiers and 7 civilians.

11.              January 20, 2014, Attack on Adeke village. 3 dead.

12.              February 20 - 21, 2014, Herdsmen attack Gwer-West LGA. 35 persons killed. 80,000 displaced. 6 Council Wards Sacked.

13.       February 24, 2014, Attack on a Tiv community along Naka road, Makurdi, killing 8 people.

14.          March 6, 2014, 30 killed in Kwande, Katsina-Ala and Logo LGAs by attackers dressed in military uniforms. 6 villages sacked.

15.        March 12, 2014, Raid on Ukpam village of Mbabaai in Guma LGA. 28 persons killed. Yam barns and farms burnt.

16.         March 10, 2014, Former Governor Suswam’s convoy attacked by herdsmen at Umenger. He and convoy manage an escape.

17.           March 12, 2014, Herdsmen attack Suswam’s village in Logo LGA. 22 slaughtered. Entire village sacked.

18.          March 23, 2014, 25 killed and over 50 injured by herdsmen said to be bearing sophisticated weapons in Gbajimba, Guma LGA.

19.              March 25, 2014, Police recover 7 corpses following an attack on Agena village by Herdsmen.

20.              March 29, 2014, Herdsmen attack 4 villages in Agatu LGA. 19 people killed, 15 others abducted.

21.              March 29, 2014, Suspected use of chemical weapons on Shengev community in Gwer West LGA leaving 15 people dead.

22.              March 30, 2014, 19 locals killed and 15 abducted in Agatu LGA.

23.              April 10, 2014, Over 100 herdsmen attacked 4 villages in Ukemberaga/Tswarev ward of Logo LG, 6 killed, properties lost.

24.              April 15, 2014, Attack on Obagaji, Headquarters of Agatu LGA, 12 youths killed.

25.              September 10, 2014, Herdsmen attacked five villages in Ogbadibo LGA leaving scores dead.

26.              January 27, 2015, 17 persons killed in attacks on Abugbe, Okoklo, Ogwule & Ocholoyan in Agatu LGA by herdsmen.

27.              January 30, 2015, Over 100 attackers stormed 5 villages in Logo LGA, killing 9 persons in the attack.

28.              March 15, 2015, Egba village in Agatu LGA sacked by herdsmen,over 90 locals, including women and children killed.

29.              April 27, 2015, 28 persons killed by herdsmen in attack on 3 villages at Mbadwem, Guma LGA; houses and farmlands razed.

30.              May 11, 2015, Ikyoawen community in Turan Kwande LGA invaded by herdsmen. 5 persons killed & 8 others wounded.

31.              May 24, 2015, 100 killed in an attack by herdsmen in villages &refugee camps at Ukura, Gafa, Per and Tse-Gusa, Logo LGA.

32.              July 7, 2015, 1 local killed and several others injured following an attack on mourners in Imande Bebeshi in Kwande LGA.

33.              November 5, 2015, 12 persons killed, 25 others injured in Buruku LGA following an attack by suspected herdsmen.

34.              Feb 8, 2016, 10 killed and over 300 displaced in clash between herdsmen and farmers at Tor-Anyiin and Tor-Ataan in Buruku LGA.

35.              Feb 21-24, 2016, Over 500 locals killed and 7000 displaced in an attack on Agatu LGA by Fulani herdsmen. Over 7 villages razed.

36.              March 9, 2016, 8 residents killed by herdsmen in attacks on Ngorukgan, Tse Chia, Deghkia and Nhumbe in Logo LGA.

37.              March 11, 2016, Attack on Convoy of Senator David Mark by suspected herdsmen in Agatu LGA. No casualty recorded.

38.              March 13, 2016, 6 people including an APC youth leader killed by herdsmen in an attack on Tarkaa LGA.

39.              February 29, 2016, 11 killed in Edugbeho Agatu LG including a police inspector.

40.              March 10, 2016, Two killed in attack on Obagaji Agatu.

41.              March 5, 2016, Houses burnt in Agatu. Security forces prevented killings.

42.              January 24, 2017, 15 people were killed by rampaging Fulani herdsmen, who attacked farmers in Ipiga village in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State.

43.              March 2, 2017, No fewer than 10 persons were killed in a renewed hostility between herdsmen and farmers in Mbahimin community, Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State.

44.              March 11, 2017, Seven people were killed when herdsmen attacked a Tiv community, Mkgovur village in Buruku local government area of Benue State.

45.              May 8, 2017, Three persons were confirmed killed by herdsmen in Tse-Akaa village, Ugondo Mbamar District of Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.

46.              May 13, 2017, Less than one week after many people were killed by herdsmen in three communities of Logo Local Government Area of Benue State, armed herders struck again on May 13 killing eight more people.

47.              December 31, 2017 and January 2, 2018, 50 persons including seven members of the Benue State Livestock Guards have been killed in fresh attacks on Benue communities by suspected Fulani herdsmen after they invaded Gaambe-Tiev, Ayilamo and Turan all in Logo LGA as well as Umenger, Tse-Akor and Tomatar near Tse-Abi in Nongov District of Guma LGA.

References:

Source 1: https://punchng.com/herdsmen-kill-20-burn-houses-in-fresh-benue-attacks/

Source 2: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/06/herdsmen-attacks-another-boko-haram-senate/

Source 3: http://ipnnews.info/timeline-attack-benue-state-2013-2016/

Obtained from The-Benue-We-Deserve platform