Tiv socio-cultural group, called ‘Mdzough u Tiv,’ has described the alleged killings of 73 cows by purported Tiv militias in Nasarawa state as a mockery of the people of Benue.
Report of youths militia alleged to be of Tiv origin had on Sunday attacked a community, Kadako in Nasarawa State killed 73 cows while two Fulanis were said to be missing.
But in a statement by the President General of the group, Chief Edward Ujege described the report as a display of cattle in the palace of an emir as reprehensible, condemnable and unacceptable to all aright thinking members of the human race.
Ujege stated that the attention of the Mdzough u Tiv was drawn to reports that a purported Tiv militia attacked and killed 73 cows in Kadarko, Nasarawa state while two persons were also alleged to be missing as a result of the attacks.
He described the report as ‘a mockery’ and stated that the killings was the saddest periods in the lives of the Tiv people, Benue and indeed the entire Nigeria when 73 people including children, pregnant women and old men murdered by Fulani herdsmen on New Year’s Day 2018 were given mass burial in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
”It is very unfortunate that the fabricators of the phantom attacks in Nasarawa state have chosen to further ridicule and add insult to the injury and pain of the Tiv people by seeking to equate the same number of cows with those murdered in the New Year Day attacks on communities in Logo and Guma local government areas in Benue State.”
”We consider it the height of insensitivity, brutality and impunity that a group of people will reduce the precious lives of human beings to the same level and status with herds of cattle,” Ujege stated.
According to the president general, this poor parody, which is part of a larger conspiracy script to downplay the heinous crime committed against Benue state by the Fulani herdsmen and their sponsors must be rejected by all.
”It is intended to further mock the families of the dead. This cannot be accepted,” he stated.