Tiv leaders in Nasarawa state have appealed to Abdullahi Sule, the executive Governor of the state, to further intervene to promptly curtail the invasion of their homes and farmlands by suspected herders, despite the constitution of a probe panel to investigate the land grab crisis in the southern senatorial district of the state.
The land grab crisis has allegedly continued unabated in the southern senatorial district of Nasarawa State, resulting in the loss of lives and property.
This prompted the Governor, Abdullahi Sule, to set up an investigative panel to look into the disputed areas between the Tiv Communities and other communities in the southern part of the state.
Speaking to Journalists at the resumed sitting of the probe panel in Lafia, Dr Tseku, who is a Clinical psychologist, alleged that the traditional rulers of the affected areas, the district head of Adogi, and the Osakyo of Asakyo, Osula Inalegu, have vehemently refused to honour the invitation of the panel constituted by the governor.
Dr Tseku said it was suspicious for the affected traditional rulers to decline appearances before the panel after several invitations.
He said the Tiv people have continued to experience attacks by suspected herders allegedly recruited to dispossess the Tiv Communities of their accessory homes and farmlands.
“I have been a refugee in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja, since 2014 due to persistent attacks. My house has been taken over, as well as farmland.
Despite the persistent outcry by the Tiv Communities over the seizure of our ancestral lands in the southern senatorial district of Nasarawa state over the years, our people have not seen peace for a long time now”, Dr Tseku lamented.
The clinical psychologist who called on Governor Sule to further intervene by calling on the traditional rulers to honour and respect the probe panel in order to find a lasting solution to the crisis of land grab in the area also appealed to the governor to ensure that the herders were made to relocate and allowed the Tiv Communities to return to where their forefathers lived and died.
On his part, another Tiv community leader, Joseph Orjeme, had allegedly accused some traditional rulers of being behind the crisis of land grabs in the Tiv settlements in the southern senatorial district of Nasarawa State, hence his refusal to appear before the panel.
Orjeme stressed the need for prompt resolution of the land crisis, adding that the Tive community was under siege in the affected senatorial Zone of the state.
Orjeme noted that a situation where the original inhabitants have become strangers in their fatherland was unacceptable, adding that state creation was for administrative convenience.
“Our forefathers have been in Nasarawa before the creation of Benue, plateau province.
Tiv people in Nasarawa State have no other place than where their grandparents gave birth to them.
Why would Tiv in Nasarawa become strangers in their fatherland?”, Orjeme questioned.
Earlier at the resumed hearing in Lafia, the President of Tiv Youth Organisation (TYO), who doubled as the counsel to the complainants (TIV Communities), Barnabas Zayol, told Journalists that several appeals were made, which led to the constitution of the panel.
Zayol expressed hope that the panel would give hope to the communities in line with the desire of the state governor, Eng Abdullahi Sule, to end the crisis and enable the Tiv people to live peacefully in their ancestral lands.
The Tiv people of Nasarawa State are laudable of the policies and programmes of His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule’s led administration, especially in the areas of security, development, and unity of the state, so we cannot be different from the drive in our actions and inaction to drive the process”. Zayol declared.
He then appealed to all the parties involved to respect the committee constituted by the Governor whenever they were called upon in the interest of peace, progress, and the development that the Governor is noted for in the state.
The Committee Chairman, William Akika, appealed to the Communities involved to be patient as the committee would be thorough in its investigation, assuring that justice would be done to find a lasting solution to the land grab in the southern part of the state.
“We will be thorough in our assignment given to us by His Excellency, Abdullahi Sule, in such a manner that the two parties involved will come to terms with the resolution reached at the end of the exercise,” he said.
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