JUST IN: Benue facing genocidal invasion, not herders-farmers clashes, says Tor Tiv

By Kunle Sanni

The Tor Tiv V, His Royal Majesty James Ayatse, has dismissed claims that the persistent violence in Benue State stems from herders-farmers clashes, describing such narratives as grave misinformation that has hindered proper responses to the crisis.

Speaking during a live televised stakeholders’ meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Makurdi on Wednesday, the paramount ruler said misrepresenting the root cause of the conflict has led to misguided calls for communities to tolerate or negotiate peace with their attackers.

“We do have grave concerns about the misinformation and misrepresentation of the security crisis in Benue State. Your Excellency, it’s not herders-farmers clashes, it’s not communal clashes, it’s not reprisal attacks or skirmishes,” Ayatse stated.

He insisted that the violence in Benue is far more insidious — a deliberate, long-term campaign of violent land grabbing by what he described as “herder terrorists and bandits,” which has claimed thousands of lives and displaced numerous rural communities over the years.

“It is this misinformation that has led to suggestions such as ‘remain tolerant, negotiate for peace, learn to live with your neighbours’. Wrong diagnosis will always lead to wrong treatment,” the Tor Tiv warned.

According to him, what Benue is experiencing is a calculated and escalating genocidal invasion, not a conventional communal conflict.

“This is a well-planned, full-scale land-grabbing campaign that has been going on for decades and is worsening every year,” he added.

“It’s not about learning to live with your neighbours; it is about confronting and overcoming a war.”