Get Guardian on GoogleHundreds of youths under the aegis of Tiv Youths Organisation (TYO) Worldwide yesterday protested against the insult on the Tor Tiv by the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator George Akume.
The youths took their letter of protest to Mzough-u-Tiv, the umbrella body with traditional authority over every Tiv son and daughter, asking it to call Akume to order. The youths carried placards bearing inscriptions like ‘Tiv youths say no to insults on Tor Tiv’, ‘Tor Tiv is symbol of Tiv identity,’ and ‘Akume must apologise to Tiv nation for insulting Tor Tiv,’ among others.
Meanwhile, armed policemen stormed Tarka Foundation, venue of the event in four Hilux vans, beating up reporters of Channels Television and AIT who came to cover it. They also arrested six of the youths. The police operatives were suspected to have been deployed by the Benue State Police Command as the inscriptions on the Hilux vans indicated.
Speaking during the protest, President of TYO, Timothy Hembaor, said: “We have come out in the glory of our strength to register our displeasure and protestations over the attack by a supposed Tiv son against no less an institution and person of the Begha-u-Tiv, His Royal Majesty, Prof. James Ortese Ayatse.
“It was on December 28, last year, that a Tiv son in the person of Akume stood in Gboko and spat demeaning words against the stool of the Tor Tiv and its occupant whom he described in unprintable terms.”The group had earlier urged the Minister to retract his words and tender an unreserved apology to the royal father within seven days.
According to youths, they embarked on the protest because the seven-day ultimatum elapsed on January 4, this year, without any apology or show of remorse by Akume.
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