From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
The Tor Tiv and Chairman, Benue State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Orcivirigh James Ayatse has condemned in strong terms, the continuous unprovoked gruesome killings of innocent Benue citizens.
He has asked the Federal Government to match its words with action by ensuring that the perpetrators are fished out and brought to justice.
The Tor Tiv made the condemnation when members of Middle Belt Forum, MBF, led by its President Dr Pogu Bitrus paid him a condolence visit in his palace in Gboko.
The paramount ruler of the Tiv nation lamented the heartless and dehumanising carefully planned recent attacks where even Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, were not spared in their camps, describing it as a deadly blow that must be resisted to stop the plan to take over the people’s ancestral lands.
Orcivirigh Ayatse appreciated them for the visit which he said was a major consolation that lessen the despair of Benue people and can strengthen them.
Speaking earlier, the Present Middle Belt Forum, Dr Pogu Bitrus, said they felt the devastation in Benue state and considered it imperative to come and identify with the Tor Tiv as a people in the same region facing similar horrible experience in the hands of herdsmen.
Bitrus emphasized that Middle Belt region has been pushed to the wall and must resist desperate attempts to wipe them out and occupy their land.
He assured the Tor Tiv and the entire state of the forum’s firm support to collectively address the uncivilised attitude of murderers who take pleasure in shedding blood of innocent poor people.