Follow Us on Google
From Abel Leonard, Lafia
The Tiv Youths Organization (TYO) Nasarawa branch has issued a passionate appeal for immediate government intervention to halt the escalating violence in Keana Local Government Area (LGA).
In a press statement delivered on Thursday, Comrade Isaiah Audu, President of TYO, called for swift action to prevent further bloodshed and restore peace between the Tiv and Alago communities.
“The recent weeks have seen the Keana Local Government Area teetering on the brink of collapse,” said Audu. He highlighted that the community, which had long enjoyed peaceful coexistence, is now engulfed in conflict at a time when collective efforts should focus on farming to combat hunger.
The TYO expressed deep concern over the continuous attacks on Tiv residents in Keana, allegedly by Alago youths. “Defenceless, law-abiding citizens of Nasarawa State of Tiv extraction have continued to be victims of gruesome attacks,” Audu lamented, emphasising the urgency of the situation to prevent a complete breakdown of law and order.
Read also: Taraba gov, Kefas, Tiv group condemn monarch, son’s murder
Other News
Audu recounted a significant incident on June 24, 2024, where an attack at Bakin Kotar, a border community between Nasarawa and Benue States, sparked the ongoing violence. “Some Alago persons were said to have been attacked on their farm,” he noted, with the incident receiving widespread media coverage.
In what appeared to be a reprisal attack, the violence spilt into Keana town, resulting in the deaths of at least four innocent Tiv individuals. “The corpses are still at the mortuary at this moment, and two of the bodies are yet to be identified,” Audu revealed.
Despite the deployment of security agents to prevent further escalation, Audu expressed frustration over the lack of justice for the victims. “Our desire for justice is yet to be fulfilled,” he stated, pointing to subsequent attacks on Tiv villages, including Adaga on July 16 and Obosidoma on July 20, where lives and properties were lost.
Audu also addressed reports accusing Tiv youths of attacking an Alago settlement, resulting in injuries and the death of a pregnant Migili woman. He vehemently denied these allegations, calling them a “travesty of the truth” and asserting that Tiv people would never engage in such heinous acts.
While commending the state government’s efforts, Audu stressed that more needs to be done. “It is our position that perpetrators of these acts have to be apprehended and prosecuted,” he declared, urging for compensation for the victims who have suffered significant losses.
Audu called for peace and patience among the Tiv youths, encouraging them to remain law-abiding despite provocations. “We commit to collaborating with the state government and all stakeholders dedicated to peace,” he pledged, reinforcing TYO’s dedication to achieving sustainable peace in the community.
