The Tiv Area Traditional Council has issued a strong call to the Benue State Government under Governor Hyacinth Alia to urgently facilitate the peaceful withdrawal of herders from farmlands across the Tiv Kingdom, warning of a looming food crisis if farming activities remain suspended.
It comes in the face of food prices continuing to escalate nationwide amid worsening security challenges and supply disruptions in key agricultural regions due to the activities of heavily armed Fulani herdsmen.
This decision was reached at an emergency meeting held at the Palace of the Tor Tiv in Gboko and presided over by His Royal Majesty, Prof. James Ayatse.
The Council directed traditional and political leaders across all Tiv local government areas to commence peaceful dialogues with herders to ensure their orderly exit from affected communities.
In a communiqué signed by the Council Secretary, Mr. Shinyi Tyozua, the traditional institution set a deadline for all herders to vacate Tiv lands by the end of May 2025.
The council warned that failure to act swiftly could trigger widespread hunger and economic setbacks in Benue State and beyond.
“Agricultural activities have come to a standstill in many areas due to herders occupying farmlands and violent attacks forcing farmers to flee,” the Council stated.
The most affected local government areas identified include Kwande, Katsina-Ala, Logo, Ukum, Guma, Makurdi, Gwer West, Gwer East, and Buruku.
These communities, the Council noted, have seen a sharp decline in farming as a result of ongoing insecurity and the occupation of lands by armed herders.
The Tor Tiv and the Council stressed the importance of avoiding conflict while reclaiming farmlands, urging the government to act decisively but peacefully to protect the livelihoods of thousands of farming households across the state.
