24/04/2025
PRESS STATEMENT
WE ARE NOT HELPLESS
Benue Hike Tourism and Conservation Foundation
Makurdi, Benue State — 23 April 2025
We, the Benue Hike Tourism and Conservation Foundation, are glad to have you, stakeholders, community groups, civil society organizations, and the public at this candlelight event. This event is in memory of all those who have tragically lost their lives to herdsmen attacks in Benue State. A minute silence
Though initially planned as a procession, we were compelled to modify the format to a stationary vigil, considering police concerns about potential security breaches. We acknowledge these concerns and, understanding the tense atmosphere in our communities, we have prioritized safety above all. Prayers were offered for peace in Benue and for all those affected by the violence.
Today, we go beyond mourning—we speak, we demand, and we act. This statement outlines our observations, grievances, and recommendations for a way forward.
The Issue
Our State stands as a harrowing testament to the devastating impact of prolonged insecurity. Between January 2023 and February 2025, over 10,600 individuals—predominantly women and children—were killed in more than 575 attacks across over 200 rural communities. Eighteen of the state's 23 local governments have been affected, with thousands displaced and hundreds missing. The violence has obliterated the rural economy, with over 105,476 houses destroyed and farm produce valued at over ₦91 billion lost. Additionally, over 2000 schools have been destroyed, depriving countless children of education.
The state's infrastructure has also been targeted, with f police stations and markets razed, further eroding law and order. The crisis has left over two million people displaced, many residing in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps or with host communities. This relentless cycle of violence and destruction has plunged Benue into a severe humanitarian crisis, with profound implications for its people and their future.
In response to the escalating insecurity and persistent killings in Benue State, both state and federal authorities have initiated several measures to restore peace and protect residents.
State-Level Initiatives:
• Benue State's anti-open grazing law, enacted in 2017
This law aims to address the persistent conflicts between farmers and herders by prohibiting open grazing and promoting ranching. The law has undergone several amendments to strengthen its provisions and penalties
• Establishment of the Benue State Civil Protection Guards (Benue State Guards): Governor Hyacinth Alia inaugurated this new security outfit in December 2024 to address the rising violence attributed to armed groups, particularly Fulani ethnic militias. The force comprises local recruits and is equipped with vehicles and motorcycles to enhance mobility and response capabilities.
• Deployment of Local Security Forces: In January 2024, the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards, alongside other local security groups, conducted operations along the Makurdi-Naka Road, a known hotspot for kidnappings and killings. This initiative aimed to sensitize communities and dismantle criminal camps in the region.
Federal-Level Actions:
• Senate's Intervention: In December 2024, the Nigerian Senate called for urgent measures to address the insecurity in Benue.
• Increased Military Presence: Governor Alia has advocated for the deployment of infantry soldiers and the establishment of a military battalion in Ugbema, along with seven forward operating bases in various local government areas, to enhance security and protect agricultural activities.
• Senate's Directive for Additional Troops: In March 2025, following renewed attacks in Gwer-West Local Government Area, the Senate urged security agencies to deploy more troops to restore law and order, emphasizing the need for swift action to prevent further violence.
While these efforts signify a concerted response to the security challenges in Benue State, the situation persists, and is worsening
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1. The Silence of the Elites
The conspicuous silence of Tiv elites amid the growing crisis is deafening. When voices of influence fall silent in times of crisis, it sends a dangerous message of apathy or complicity. The failure of our elites to speak up or act has left the common Tiv man isolated and unprotected.
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2. Failure of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA)
Despite the escalating humanitarian crisis, SEMA has failed to mobilize relief. Thousands are displaced and in desperate need of shelter, food, medical aid, and psychological support, yet no concrete assistance has been seen.
We demand immediate activation of emergency response protocols, including mobile clinics, food distribution, and trauma counseling teams in IDP camps. SEMA should publish a relief action plan and work with NGOs and donor agencies to coordinate response efforts.
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3. The Politicization of Tiv Development Associations
Development associations, once agents of progress, are now perceived as tools for political manipulation. Rather than advocating for the Tiv people, these organizations have become passive, failing to mobilize or even speak during or after attacks.
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4. Government Complacency and Denial
The handling of the security crisis by the current Benue State Governor has emboldened attackers. Denials of insecurity, rationalization of violence, and underreporting of attacks have created a fertile ground for further aggression.
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5. Lack of a Central Agenda for the Tiv Nation (Tar Tiv)
A recurring challenge for the Tiv people has been the absence of a unified vision or coordinated agenda for self-preservation and development. Without unity, we are weakened politically and socially.
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6. Ethnic Cleansing and Systemic Land Grabbing
The violence in Tivland is not random—it is systematic and targeted. It amounts to ethnic cleansing through forced displacement and land occupation by armed herdsmen. The land our people were chased from is now being used to graze cattle.
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7. Inadequacy of Federal Security Responses
The current federal security deployment is reactive, fragmented, and temporary. Security agents are stretched thin and often arrive after the damage has been done. Communities remain exposed.
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8. Coordination and Synergy Among Pro-Tiv Groups
Several organizations are working independently, resulting in duplicated efforts and scattered impact. This weakens the overall response to the crisis.
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9. The Need for an Alternative Voice
Those tasked with representing us have failed to do so effectively. Many of their actions are filtered through elitist detachment and political correctness. The common Tiv person has been left without a voice.
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10. A Note to the Nigerian Government
The Tiv people have sacrificed time and again for Nigeria’s unity. Yet today, they are abandoned. The blood of our people is being spilled without consequences. The government’s inaction suggests either complicity or neglect—both dangerous.
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SOUR DEMANDS TO THE BENUE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS
A. Immediate and Effective Protection
1. Deploy more security personnel to high-risk rural areas.
2. Establish permanent patrol outposts in affected zones.
3. Implement a rapid response framework for distress calls.
B. Functional Community Security Structures
1. Fully empower and equip Benue State Community Volunteer Guards (BSCVG).
2. Integrate local intelligence into formal military operations.
C. Transparent Engagement
1. Hold monthly security town halls with community leaders.
2. Create secure and anonymous citizen reporting channels.
D. Full Enforcement of the Anti-Open Grazing Law
1. Enforce the law without bias.
2. Prosecute all violators promptly and transparently..
E. Justice and Accountability
1. Launch independent investigations into each major attack.
2. Hold political and security actors accountable for lapses or collusion.
F. Relief and Rehabilitation
1. Mobilize immediate humanitarian aid.
2. Develop and fund IDP resettlement and reconstruction plans.
3. Provide compensation to victims' families and support for rebuilding lives.
G. Strategic Reforms
1. Replace compromised security officers.
2. Introduce community-led monitoring of state responses.
3. Establish a land dispute resolution tribunal.
4. Expand the Governor’s security team to include crisis response professionals.
5. Ensure the Governor maintains open access to all stakeholders.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
1. We call on all Tiv elites—politicians, academics, clergy, and business leaders—to break their silence and publicly demand action from both state and federal governments. A unified, consistent, and proactive voice is critical to galvanizing support and pressure.
2. We call for the reformation of Tiv Development Associations, urging them to refocus on their original mandate—community protection, development advocacy, and leadership accountability. These groups must reconnect with grassroots realities.
3. We demand that the Governor overhaul his security advisory team and include experienced, proactive security professionals with community ties. His office must also hold regular public briefings and be transparent about steps taken to safeguard lives and properties
4. We propose the development of a Tiv National Action Plan focused on security, economic empowerment, cultural preservation, and political advocacy. This must be driven by a coalition of non-partisan leaders and community-based groups.
5. We demand urgent action from the Nigerian government to recognize these acts as ethnic cleansing and invoke national and international responses. Federal lawmakers must escalate this to international human rights bodies and push for sanctions against enablers
6. We call for permanent security bases in high-risk areas, robust intelligence integration with local informants, and the empowerment of community vigilante groups under professional supervision. Vulnerable villages must be trained and equipped for early warning and immediate response.
7. We propose the formation of a Tiv Unity Council, comprising all pro-Tiv development, advocacy, and humanitarian groups to streamline strategies, pool resources, and speak with one voice.
8. This forum, in partnership with other civil society groups, will now assume the role of an alternative voice—a grassroots-driven, non-partisan platform to demand justice, accountability, and development. Our voice will be loud, organized, and relentless.
9. We demand the immediate intervention of the Federal Government. The President must visit Benue, assess the situation firsthand, and take emergency executive actions. The killings must stop now. Justice must begin now.
A FINAL CALL
We are calling on all progressive-minded Tiv people across the globe to join this cause. Let us rekindle the spirit of unity, accountability, and communal responsibility that once made our society thrive.
This platform is non-partisan, non-religious, and inclusive. Our only interest is the survival, dignity, and development of Tivland.
Never again will anyone take the Tiv nation for granted.
This giant has arisen.
Signed,
Tersoo Akula
Chairman BoT
Benue Hike Tourism and Conservation Foundation
