Benue Crisis Is a Genocidal Invasion, Not Communal Clashes,Tor Tiv Tells President Tinubu
Abuja, Nigeria – June 18, 2025
The Tor Tiv V, His Royal Majesty Professor James Ayatse, has strongly condemned the ongoing violence in Benue State, describing it not as communal clashes or disputes between farmers and herders, but as a deliberate and systematic campaign of genocide. This assertion was made during a stakeholders’ meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, according to a report by News360 Nigeria.
Addressing the widespread portrayal of the conflict as a series of localized disputes, the paramount ruler of the Tiv nation argued that such characterizations grossly misrepresent the reality on the ground and hinder effective response efforts.
“We have grave concerns about the misinformation and misrepresentation of the security crisis in Benue State,” the monarch stated. “It is not herder-farmer clashes, communal violence, or reprisal attacks. What we are witnessing is a calculated, well-orchestrated genocidal invasion and land-grabbing agenda by herder terrorists and armed bandits.”
The traditional leader emphasized that the violence in Benue is far from spontaneous or circumstantial. According to him, it is part of a long-running, intensifying strategy aimed at forceful displacement and occupation of ancestral lands by external aggressors.
He criticized what he described as flawed policy recommendations based on these mischaracterizations, warning that they have led to misguided calls for tolerance and negotiation with violent actors. “Such inaccurate diagnoses will only continue to yield ineffective solutions,” he warned.
“What we are dealing with is not about peaceful coexistence with neighbors,” the monarch added. “It is about confronting a war — one that has persisted for decades and escalates annually.”
The Tor Tiv’s comments come amid renewed national attention on the crisis following a wave of coordinated attacks last weekend that reportedly left over 200 people dead in rural communities across the state.
In response to the latest violence, President Tinubu reiterated his directive to security agencies to enforce earlier orders aimed at restoring stability in the region. He also urged the Governor of Benue State to facilitate inclusive peace and reconciliation dialogues among stakeholders.
