NewsNigeriaPoliticsBenue Under Full-Scale Terrorist Invasion, Not Communal Crisis — Tor Tiv tells Tinubu

The paramount ruler of the Tiv nation, Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse, has told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in clear terms that the bloodshed in Benue State must not be mistaken for ordinary farmer–herder clashes or communal disputes.

“This is a genocidal invasion and a land-grabbing campaign by terrorists,” the monarch said on Tuesday as the President paid a visit to Makurdi amid growing insecurity in the state.

Standing before a crowd that included security chiefs, top government officials, and community leaders, the Tor Tiv did not mince words.

“We have great concern about the misinformation and misrepresentation of the security crisis in Benue State,” he said. “Your Excellency, it is not herders–farmers clashes, it is not communal clashes, it is not reprisal attacks or skirmishes.”

“What we are dealing with here in Benue is a calculated, well-planned, full-scale, genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder terrorists and bandits, which has been on for decades and is worsening every year. Wrong diagnosis will always lead to wrong results.”

He warned that mischaracterising the crisis as a communal issue only delays meaningful action and continues to cost lives.

“So we are dealing with something far more sinister than we think about. It is not learning to live with your neighbours, it is dealing with the war,” he added.

President Tinubu arrived at the Nigerian Air Force Base in Makurdi around 12:58 p.m. on Wednesday, following an alarming wave of attacks, including the gruesome overnight massacre in Yelewata community on 14 June, which left over 100 people dead.

To mark the President’s visit, the Benue State Government declared a public holiday.

In a statement released ahead of the trip, the presidency said Tinubu had ordered security chiefs to ensure lasting peace in the state. The visit and directive followed what the President described as a reprisal killing.

“The latest news of wanton killings in Benue State is very depressing,” Tinubu said. “We must not allow this bloodletting to continue unabated. Enough is now enough. I have directed the security agencies to act decisively and arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict and prosecute them.”

Security operatives, including intelligence officials and military personnel, have since been deployed to the State to take charge of operations and calm the tense situation.

The international community has also reacted strongly. Amnesty International, in a statement, condemned the Yelewata killings and questioned the effectiveness of existing security strategies.

“The horrifying killing of over 100 people by gunmen that invaded Yelewata from late Friday into the early hours of Saturday shows the security measures government claims to be implementing in the state are not working,” the group said.