Mass Exodus of Tiv Community begins in Taraba as herdsmen attack continues

As it seems that the Taraba state government refused to address the ongoing attacks by the Fulani herdsmen on the Tive people, the continuous herdsmen attacks has been forcing the  Tiv community to move out of the state en-mass to the neighbouring state of Benue.

 The movement has become necessary, some Tiv people opined, following the I don’t care attitudes of the Taraba state government towards setting up machineries to protect the lives and properties of the Tiv people in the state.

The reports has it that , in yesterday attack, no fewer than fifteen lives were said to have been sent to death abode while three Tiv villages were burnt down completely by the Fulani herdsmen in Wukari local government council of the state.

The communities  burnt down by the assailants  are located in Jibu ward of Wukari council as made known to journalists by the House of Assembly Committee chairman on Information, Culture and Tourism, Daniel Ishaya Gani, are Tudunwada, Yayimani and Nayinawa.

The Assembly lawmaker who criticized  the attitudes of the state government toward addressing the Fulani-Tiv crisis in the state said the crisis gained its root from the surrounding states of Nassarawa and Benue.

He said  “people have discovered that the government of Taraba state under the control of the Acting Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar is not capable of securing the lives and properties of the citizens." Adding that the inefficiency and incapability of the acting governor to end has now forced the Tiv community as well as the Fulani community to vacate Taraba state for a well secure and peaceful environment. 

 “Tiv people have massively moved out of Taraba state, while Fulani have also moved out of Wukari, Ibi and even Donga Areas", the lawmaker said. But the chairman of Wukari Council, Manasseh M. Zando, said though the security operatives have been deplored to the various axis of the council by the state government but they have not been able to put an end to the escalating crisis in the area.

The Council Boss called on the departing Tiv people and other community to return as more measures will be put in place by the state government.

However, the fleeing of  people was as a result of the refusal of the state government to take positive action, which compelled them to move en-mass to the neighbouring state of Benue where they believed their lives would be more secured.

 But it should be noted that the Filani herdsmen are also carrying out attacks in Benue, Nasarawa and Kaduna states. The federal government recently deployed troops to the trouble sports in the affected states including Taraba state to end the incessant herdsmen attacks on the people of the area