By Lukman Olabiyi
Indigenous Tiv communities in Nasarawa State have raised the alarm over what they describe as systemic killings, violent displacement, and illegal occupation of their ancestral lands, allegedly carried out with the backing of the state government.
The communities raised the alarm in a statement issued on its behalf by the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Terkaa Jerry Aondo.
The communities accused the Nasarawa State Government of willfully disobeying a subsisting court order and permitting unchecked attacks on Tiv villages.
They also alleged that Governor Abdullahi Sule had personally visited the disputed lands in clear violation of judicial orders.
According to the statement, dozens of Tiv villages across Doma, Obi, Awe, Keana, and parts of Lafia Local Government Areas—including Akaha, Utsuwa, Usula, Udugh, Chabo, Wachi, Ayarkeke, and several others—have come under relentless attacks.
The communities claim that killings and intimidation have escalated in recent weeks, with villagers forced to flee their homes and take refuge in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Agyaragu Town and Abaagu Village, Obi LGA.
The communities pointed to a preservative court order in SUIT NO. NSD/LF/44/2025 restraining the state government from encroaching on Tiv lands.
Despite this, the governor was said to have launched a rice farming project on July 1, 2025, in Ayarkeke and Jangwa in Obi and Awe LGAs—lands that are currently the subject of legal contention.
“Rather than obeying the court order, the Governor visited and kicked off agricultural activities on our ancestral lands. This is a flagrant abuse of the rule of law and a direct provocation that endangers the lives and rights of our people,” said Aondo.
The communities warn that current efforts to label the Tiv as “settlers” in Nasarawa are not only false but dangerous, fueling ethnic division and inciting violence reminiscent of the 2000–2001 ethnic attacks in the state.
The Tiv leadership alleged that as recently as July 2, 2025, a Tiv man, Mr. Kyobo Ndar, was gruesomely murdered and dismembered by suspected herdsmen at Keberi-Biu in Rukubi Ward of Doma LGA, along the Ajimaka Road. They lamented that despite notifying military authorities in the area, no arrest had been made.
“We have alerted the GOC of the Army Battalion in Doma, yet there has been no single arrest. The killers continue to walk free,” the community said.
The communities are demanding urgent intervention from the state and federal authorities. They called on the Governor to immediately obey the court order by halting all ongoing activities on the disputed land.
They also urged the federal government to deploy adequate security forces to the affected areas to safeguard lives and property.
The Tiv people demanded a full-scale investigation into the spate of violence, with the aim of holding perpetrators accountable and ensuring justice for the victims.
They appealed to the Nigerian Bar Association and other relevant institutions to take up the matter of judicial disregard, describing it as a dangerous precedent that undermines the rule of law.
Furthermore, the communities insisted on the arrest and prosecution of individuals inciting ethnic hatred and disunity among Nasarawa’s diverse population.
Finally, they appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Human Rights Commission, and international bodies to urgently intervene in what they described as a growing humanitarian crisis.
Describing the situation as “a humanitarian and legal emergency,” Aondo warned that continued silence could escalate the conflict, deepen ethnic tensions, and spark another round of bloodshed.
“Our people are currently displaced, traumatised, and living in fear. The government must not ignore this. Peace must be restored, and justice must be served,” he added.
Efforts to reach the Nasarawa State Government for comments were unsuccessful as of press time.