Herder-Farmer Crises: Tiv Group Says 10,000 People Displaced in 4 Days in Nasarawa

NKRUMAH BANKONG-OBI/Lafia

Mdzough u Tiv, the apex sociocultural group of the Tiv people in Nasarawa State has called for support to enable the association help victims displaced by the conflict to be adequately supported across parts of the State.

The Chairman of the group, Philip Nongo made the call on Monday while addressing reporters in Kadarko where about 3000 IDPs are currently camping and more are still coming.

Giving account of the immediate cause of the current wave of displacement, he said “We thought the crises was in Benue State, and it will not affect our people here. Unknowingly, three days back, they(suspected herders) came around Doka area in a village called Mgbata, where they set one church ablaze, burnt one house. They proceeded to the village of Tsekre where they also set a house ablaze. Before we knew, our people discovered that there are some bandits, suspected to be herdsmen with sophisticated weapons moving around, intimidating our people and chasing them out of their ancestral villages and farmlands, telling them that if they farm there, it is a waste and that if they prefer farming to their lives, then they should stay there. So, because of that and because there is no security, our people, over 10,000 people were displaced,” he narrated.

Nongo who conducted journalist round some of the compounds, open spaces and the Kadarko North Primary School where the displaced victims are sheltering said the spill over of the crises in Benue State caused the present round of forced displacement in Doma and Keana Local Government, thus necessitating the victims to move to areas like Kadarko, Agyaragau, Lafia metropolis and other adjoining communities. He noted that there has been no response from the authorities, therefore, “I am using this medium to appeal to the Federal government, the Executive governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Sule, to as a matter of urgency, direct the security chiefs to deploy security to protect the lives and property of Tiv people within this axis,” noting that “You can see many of them are still coming in. In Kadarko here, there are over 3,000 displaced persons, over 5,000 are in Agyaragau, and some are in other places.”

Nongo who decried the intentions of the perceived invaders said if nothing is done, farming which is their main occupation will be affected. “Already, the rainy season is by the corner and the fear is, if we go to our farms, they will chase us away. If you want to resist, those people occupying our farms have sophisticated weapons, which we the Tiv do not have because we believe that it is only the government that is supposed to be in possession of such weapons. So, the fear is, if you go to the farm now, they will attack you. He also called on the Assistant Inspector general of Police in-charge of Zone 4, Makurdi to expedite action on the petition filed by his community against the invasion of Tiv communities by suspected herders or bandits.

When this medium contacted the Nasarawa State Ministry of Women Affairs and Humanitarian Service, a senior official said no report has been received in the Ministry, hence no aid has been deployed to the area.

Pix1: Philip Nongo, President Mdzou I Tiv

Pix2: Displaced children

Pix3: A group of women who have been dispatched, taking shelter in Kadarko Community