Thousands of Tiv Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Wukari Local Government Area, LGA, of Taraba State have staged a protest in Kyado, Ukum LGA of Benue State demanding immediate return to their ancestral homes after seven years in exile.The demonstration was organized by the Tiv Wukari IDP Leadership Forum who lamented the ordeal of the Tiv speaking community in Taraba State.The protesters some of who bore placards with inscriptions like “we want to return to our homes in Taraba,” “seven years of eviction from our homes,” “Tiv lives matter,” among others, sang solidarity songs while women wept openly.Speaking on their situation during the protest, the IDP leaders, Terhide Ahur and Andy Igba, expressed gratitude to God, local traditional leaders, clergy, and community members in Benue state for their support since the group’s forced displacement in April 2019, following clashes between Tiv and Jukun communities in Kente Village, Wukari LGA.The leaders described the crisis as a “well-coordinated genocidal agenda” against the Tiv people, accusing both the state and local government authorities of complicity in denying them return to their ancestral homes.”We lament to inform the whole world that since the crisis, more than 150,000 Tiv people in Wukari LGA have been displaced. While majority of the displaced people are taking refuge in Benue state, many are scattered as refugees in some LGAs in Taraba State.“The effects of the 2019 crisis have been devastating, destroying more than 300 churches, 70 schools, and 30 primary health care facilities,” the statement read.“Despite repeated efforts by Tiv traditional leaders and stakeholders to reclaim our homes and farms, these have been obstructed by government inaction and military checkpoints, forcing us to live as settlers in our ancestral land,” they said.The IDPs also traced the historical presence of Tiv people in Wukari, citing examples of Tiv individuals who held political office in the area during the colonial era and after independence, challenging the notion of them being settlers.Calling for urgent federal intervention, the leaders appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to facilitate their return in time for the 2027 general elections.They further requested replacement of security personnel with impartial forces to protect returnees. Provision of relief materials for IDPs returning home. And the establishment of a federal judicial panel to investigate killings and land grabbing in the area.They also called on the International Community to recognize the crisis as a potential genocide under the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.They prayed for divine intervention and called for swift government action to restore the displaced Tiv community to their ancestral homes.
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