Leaders of the Tiv nation on Thursday accused the army of allegedly providing cover for armed herdsmen to take over the land naturally given to them by God.

They also expressed displeasure over the operation of a military exercise code-named “Cat Race” launched in the state by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to restore peace in Benue State communities following attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen.

President of the Mzough U Tiv (MUT), Chief Edward Ujege, in a statement issued to the media in Makurdi, expressed reservations over the emerging trends of the military operation which he said has made the people be apprehensive about the real mission of troops deployed to the state.

Chief Ujege disclosed that since the flag off of the exercise, the military has been circulating pamphlets through its Department of Civil-Military Affairs, Army Headquarters which “confirmed that the military had come to provide cover for armed Fulani herdsmen to take over the land of the people.”

The translation on the pamphlets, Chief Ujege emphasized, portrayed a purported dialogue between the Fulani herdsmen and Benue farmers on their alleged resolution to shift grounds one both farming and cattle grazing activities in the state.

Part of the translation of the pamphlets reads:

Tiv farmer: I’m your brother and a farmer; my farm produce is just as important as your cattle.

Fulani herder: I will no longer destroy your farm produce and longer kill your people. You are my brother, we should live in peace.

Tiv farmer: I too will no longer rustle or kill your cattle. You are my brother, let us live in peace.

Ujege said it was clear from the flyer that the military has acknowledged that the Fulani herdsmen are responsible for the large-scale massacre and massive destruction in of farm crops in the state.


He regretted that instead of addressing issues of justice, reparation and compensation, the federal government is compelling people of the state to accommodate the perpetrators of the heinous atrocities.

“Moreover, there is no reference to the Open Grazing Prohibition and Establishment of Ranches Law 2017, which addresses the fundamental issues of making both the farmers and the herders coexist in peace. The military is not only silent on the law but has encouraged open grazing with all its concomitant consequences. This silence on the law points to the fact that they are not in its support and are not ready to ensure its enforcement”.

But the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 707 Special Forces Brigade, Major Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, in a swift reaction, countered the position of the Tiv leader saying “Operation Cat-race is not in support of any group”.

The Army spokesman, Major Ayeni said the role of the army in the crisis is to ensure the return of enduring peace in sacked communities and safe return of the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs.

“All that the army needs to do here is to ensure that no Benue resident is killed or displaced from their homes, that is all we are doing. We want to ensure peaceful coexistence among the herders and farmers. We are not saying the Fulani herdsmen should not obey the anti-open grazing law enacted by the Benue State government.

“Let me inform you that we had arrested a Fulani herdsman yesterday and two others that wanted to attack Governor Ortom’s farm in Guma and with all these successes you should know that Operation Ayem A Kpatuma is not in support of any group and is not in the pursuit or criticising any group.”

“Our role is to make sure that Benue State is peaceful and one of the ways we are going about it is for the herders to know that either a Tiv man or an Idoma man or Igede man is a Nigerian like him and a herder who is not violent now is their brother.

“However in the course of the military exercise if we find a violent herdsman that want to kill or displace any person in Benue State, we get him arrested and that is why we arrested two people two weeks ago, and arrested another one for preventing the Tiv people from been peaceful in their own environment.

“So the way and manner we go in achieving a peaceful environment in Benue State especially in Guma and Logo local government areas of the state and Katsina-Ala local government is by using this psychological method to test these people that we are friends, don’t fight or pursue the other because we are one family. But however, if you saw anyone who want to kill you, report and we will get that person arrested and deal with him according to the law”, said Major Ayeni.

http://dailypost.ng/2018/02/22/benue-killings-army-providing-cover-armed-herdsmen-tiv-leaders/

After all this,Tivs will still vote for Buhari in mass in 2019,they are slaves that don't know what they want and see pride in the chains of their slavery

My condolences, I still remember how tiv massacred thousands of igbo running down east during the war

Odingo1:
After all this,Tivs will still vote for Buhari in mass in 2019,they are slaves that don't know what they want and see pride in the chains of their slavery

I doubt that, except those votes are rigged.

philcz:
I doubt that, except those votes are rigged.

APC governor ruling the state will deliver his state as usual,nobi naija

Anybody that Thinks the Nigerian Army will engage the herdsmen must be a joker ...Part of the unwritten Job description of the Nigerian Army is to provide protection fro herdsmen when ever called upon

Odingo1:

APC governor ruling the state will deliver his state as usual,nobi naija

I guess you don't have a clue on the dynamism of politics in Benue or you're not updated.

Nigeriabiafra80:
My condolences, I still remember how tiv massacred thousands of igbo running down east during the war

SONofnezzar you see Wetin I dey talk ba.
if I attack now you go talk your own.

If you're expecting Fulani soldiers to protect you against their herdsmen brothers you're wasting your time.

The sooner we divide this zoo country the better

The terrorist Buhari wants to takeover peoples ancestral land by force

Divide the zoo called Nigeria now

Hmm

When I heard that the military was circulating flyers is when I knew that this operation Cat Race was a waste of time. A complete smokescreen to hoodwink gullible Nigerians into believing that Buhari is doing anything against his kinsmen slaughtering people in Benue.

Which flyer did the Army circulate in operation Python Dance? The largely Northern dominated Nigerian Army had no problem opening fire on Igbos

Something they will never do against their Fulani brethren that are killing people.

Operation Cat Race is a waste of time and not one Herdsman will be affected by it.

well they should not sabotage the effort of Nigeria army.

Using tax payers money to support a tribe at the expense of another is a sign of a looming anarchy

Whoever think the Nigerian Army was sent there to protect the Tiv people must be smoking Jamaican weed

In Nigeria the fulani's are the first class citizens, the cows are the second class citizens, while the rest is just the o yes member with no class not even a third class citizen

But however, if you saw anyone who want to kill you, report and we will get that person arrested and deal with him according to the law”, said Major Ayeni.

I dont know how you report a case at the point of death..

Woe to anyone who is surprised by this

How do you expect peace without making peace?

the truth to this matter is not over again. .....many scenes behind the benue killings are still being hidden from the public all in the name of media censorship...well one day the truth will be exposed....God is watching us all...

Nothing strange there. Even the NAF too does.

From the above submission it's obvious the Buhari government is fully in support of the reckless killing. Forcefully taking people's land instead to appeal to their conscience is one height of callousness and wickedness.

Nigeriabiafra80:
My condolences, I still remember how tiv massacred thousands of igbo running down east during the war

Were, you born then? Where u alive?

They've started trying to sabotage the exercise even before it gains traction.

When it happened, IG was sent and policemen were dispatched to affected areas.

The people huffed and puffed, saying what is needed is the army and police aren't trained for that level of combat.

The cries have been heeded and accordingly, the army has been engaged, and the same folks have started peddling lies to frustrate to exercise.

Ortom is the one orchestrating all these media attacks as he knows puting an end to this crisis is probably nailing his 2019 ambition. He has absolutely nothing to go by except "pretending to love the people more than he does his bank account".

All state owned tertiary institutions (with the exception of BSU) just declared indefinite strike over the intolerable suffering as a result of nonpayment of salaries and the fool is there chasing shadows.

Even BSU has been shut down over last week's protest, with the fool asking students who protested the authorities disallowing them to sit for exams over nonpayment of school fees, to go sought their fees over two weeks. Benue workforce is predominantly civil servants. You don't pay salaries yet you want students to pay fees. Where does he want them to raise the monies- prostitution and selling of kidneys?

When folks who know nothing about what goes on in Benue open their mouths and speak here, all I do is giggle. Worst off they are the same people that insulted the life out of the useless governor just last year. He's become their hero overnight because he now seems opposed to Buhari.

[s]

PointZerom:
If you're expecting Fulani soldiers to protect you against their herdsmen brothers you're wasting your time.

[/s]
Shut up.

The herdsmen should be fished out and dealt with ASAP.

They must provide for them and also protect them since their oga at the top are one who gave them arms to carry out their evil activities.

Our military can sabi do PR somersault ehn! Now they have tacitly acknowledged that the herders are fulanis , same way they claimed to have released the abducted girls.
Very partisan military.

Strong accusation!



Benue people deserve the peace!

That's normally expected na.