Insecurity: Group advocates expansion of Benue homeland security

A group known as ‘Forum of Ayatutu Professors’ in Benue State on Saturday called for the expansion of the role of Benue State Bureau of Homeland Security to include farming communities to tackle the rising insecurity in the state.

The forum, which comprises of full professors of Tiv extraction worldwide, suggested an annual levy of one
thousand naira for all taxable adults across the state to fund the activities of the security outfit.

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The forum also called on the people of the state to defend themselves against the marauding herders.

The self-help, according to the Tiv dons must be within the ‘framework of careful post-conflict management of its complexities’.

These and others were contained in a statement issued and signed by Professors Tor Joe Iorapuu and Simon Verlumun Irtwange, the forum’s Chairman and Secretary, Board of Trustees &Council of Management respectively and made available to newsmen in Makurdi on Saturday.

The forum also encouraged the people of the state to remain focused and united, and noted that the only way to fight the marauders was for the people to join in the journey on the road to unity.

It further encouraged the state governor, .Hyacinth Alia and all the Paramount Traditional Rulers to keep their focus on what it described as ‘uncomfortable cross.’

The statement read in parts, “The Forum acknowledged that despite the efforts of the various tiers of Government,they have failed in their responsibility of protecting lives and property of the Tiv people and Benue State citizens in general.

“The Forum agreed that in the immediate, there is the need for a community approach to security, self-help, but it must be within the framework of careful post-conflict management of its complexities.

“There is a need, therefore, to mobilise and organise our people to defend their lives, land, and the future wellbeing of their children. We must defend against ambitious land grabbers working in concert with some power-seeking, disoriented, ambitious but self-centred politicians and traditional rulers.

“The Forum calls for the expansion of the role of Benue State Bureau of Homeland Security to include Farming Communities Protection and further recommends an annual levy of one thousand naira for all taxable adults in Tiv land and Benue State in general for the funding of the activities of the renamed Bureau of Homeland Security and Farming Communities Protection.”

The forum further encouraged all their representatives both at the National and State Assemblies to speak out, and act urgently on how to fight the marauders.