Tor Tiv alleges herders’ plot to seize indigenes’ ancestral lands

The Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, has alleged that sustained invasion of Benue communities and killing of innocent people by armed herdsmen was a plot to take over indigenes’ ancestral land.

According to him, there are still cases of attack on farmers by herders in the state. The traditional ruler, who is also Chairman of Benue State Council of Chiefs, disclosed this to journalists in Abuja, at the sidelines of the ongoing three-day Mediation and Negotiation Training Workshop for Benue State Traditional Rulers, organised by the Henry Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD).

At the training are first-class and second-class traditional rulers led by the Tor Tiv. Ayatse said a situation where herders move around the country with AK-47 rifles and sophisticated weapons might prolong the crisis.

His words: “Herders and farmers have been the major source of conflict in Benue State. For a farmer, who may have used a whole year to nurture his crops and you come and destroy it, that means you have brought his life to crisis. And then he does everything to preserve the source of his livelihoods.

“There is a change in strategy of the herders. In the olden days, they only moved about with sticks, and if they destroy any crop, they were very apologetic about it. They would meet with the elders to reconcile, make any necessary payment and everyone moves on.
But now, they don’t bring sticks; they bring guns and modern ammunitions to terrorise unarmed farmers.”

The monarch said though the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law enacted by Governor Samuel Ortom limited the uncontrolled wandering of herders, the indigenes were still living in fear.

He added: “The killing is still going on, especially the northern flank of Benue border. Herders steal, kill, destroy and rape. They come at night to attack the farmers.”

“If they are really grazing, they won’t come in the night to attack people in their sleep. It is like they are not just looking for the grass; they also want to take over the land. I think the strategy has changed to violence, confrontation and annexation of the people’s land.”

The Country Manager of HD, Chris Agoba, stressed the role of traditional rulers in resolving conflicts, especially in Benue, adding that the institution has remained a myth factor in people’s lives.

According to him, the training will ensure that the monarchs are eminently qualified to prevent, mitigate and resolve local level conflicts.

“Our organisation has been in Benue since 2017, trying to prevent, mitigate and resolve inter-communal conflicts. While each conflict has its unique dynamics and circumstances, some of the commonalities include intense competition for ownership, access and control of natural resources. In many instances, the competition for natural resources tend to take ethnic, religious and sometimes political colouration, thus making attempts at resolution difficult,” he said.

He noted that the organisation’s intervention in the conflict in Agatu communities led to relative peace in the areas.