Three major socio-cultural groups in Benue State have told President Bola Tinubu that the people can no longer remain defenceless in the face of continued attacks by armed herders, insisting it is time to revive traditional self-defence strategies.
The organizations — Mdzough U Tiv, Ochitoha K’Idoma, and Om’Igede — made their position known through their President General, Iorbee Ihagh, who said the persistent killings have left communities with no option but to resort to the Tiv traditional way of confronting enemies.
His statement follows the June 13 massacre in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area, where over 200 people were killed and hundreds displaced by suspected Fulani militias.
“Tiv people defeated their enemies during the jihad war of 1804 using traditional methods.
“If we employ self-defence now, it means we must be ready to die. It is either we die first or the enemy dies. We did it before and we will do it again,” Ihagh, a retired comptroller of prisons, said.
He stressed that the people were being pushed into self-help due to the government’s failure to protect them.
Corroborating the call, the Chairman of the Traditional Council of Gwer West, Daniel Abomtse, said the federal government must allow communities to bear arms in defence of their lives and property.
“If our people are mobilised and allowed to defend themselves, they can confront the attackers at the point of entry,” he said.
However, the lawmaker representing Guma Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, Peter Uche, appealed for calm, citing renewed efforts by the federal government to address the crisis.
“Truly, there was agitation for self-help when we realised we had to take our safety very seriously. But with the president’s commitment and the arrest of over 50 suspects, no president has ever shown this level of dedication. We need to be patient,” Uche said.
