Tiv Youths Organisation (TYO) has raised the alarm over alleged fresh attacks by persons suspected of Alago extraction in the Keana local government area of the state.
The president of the organisation, Mr Isaiah Audu, at a press conference yesterday, said two persons were allegedly killed in a recent onslaught against two Tiv communities in the area.
He said the attack on Adaga, a Tiv community, on July 16, destroyed properties and displaced many natives, while a similar offensive at Obosidoma, another Tiv community, on July 20 led to the death of two persons.
Mr Audu alleged that since the attack at Bakin Kotar, a community at the boundary between some Alago farmers in Keana LGA of Nasarawa State and Guma LGA of Benue State by persons suspected to Tivs which resulted in the death of two persons, some Alago youths have continued to launch mayhem on Tiv communities.
“We address the press today with profound sorrow as we witness the devastating erosion of peace in a community that had long enjoyed harmony. The Keana local government area has recently been teetering on the brink of collapse. A crisis between the Tiv and Alago communities has shattered the tranquillity that once characterised their coexistence. Ironically, at a time when collective efforts should be focused on farming to combat hunger and starvation, precious lives are instead being lost due to senseless violence.
“The Tiv youths in Nasarawa State, under the auspices of the Tiv Youths Organization (TYO), make a passionate and urgent call on the government of Nasarawa State and all relevant organs of government to, as a matter of urgency, bring to an end, the wanton killing of our people in Keana local government area of Nasarawa State.
“This call has become necessary because defenceless, law-abiding citizens of Nasarawa State of Tiv extraction living in Keana have continued to be victims of gruesome attacks from assailants suspected to be Alago youths. This trend, if it continues, can only lead to a total breakdown of law and order and end the relative peace that has been enjoyed in the area for some years now.
“While we commend the actions taken by the government of Nasarawa State and other key stakeholders to end the crises, the fact that there have been more attacks suggests that those actions are simply not enough. It is our position that perpetrators of these acts have to be apprehended and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.
“Also, victims should be compensated because apart from the lives that have been lost, houses, motorcycles, farm produce, and other valuable properties have also been carted away by assailants. This has left our people in dire need of assistance, especially considering the general state of the economy today,” he stated.
He called on all Tiv people in the state, especially the youths in the affected areas, to remain peaceful and law-abiding.
However, Mr Mohammed Oshafu, president of the Alago Ikweyi Gbayi Development Union, said no such attacks were carried out by his people, alleging that the Tivs are rather the aggressors.
“They killed three of our graduates on the farm; they have been chasing our people from their farmland and taking over the same. Despite that, they will embark on a campaign of calumny against the Alagos,” he said.
He said his people are peace-loving and have been living peacefully with people of all tribes without any conflict.
“We have been appealing to our people to remain calm in the face of these provocative attacks while we await the state government to do the needful,” he explained.
