THE FORUM OF MDZOUGH U TIV, THE IDOMA NATIONAL FORUM AND THE OMI NY’IGEDE REACT TO THE PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE LEADERSHIP OF MIYETTI ALLAH KAUTAL HORE

The attention of the people of Benue state hereby represented by the
Mdzough U Tiv (MUT), the Idoma National Forum and the Omi Ny'Igede,
the principal umbrella socio-cultural organizations of the Tiv, Idoma
and Igede Nations, has been drawn to the incendiary press conference
held by the leadership of the Fulani Cattle Breeders Association
–Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and published in the Nation Newspaper of
Wednesday 31st May 2017.

The press conference, from all intents and purposes, was not only
inciting and bellicose but full of half truths and ahistorical;
intended to aggravate the already challenging security situation in
Benue State and Nigeria as a whole

The assertion by the group that the Fulanis were the original
inhabitants of the Benue valley is absolutely ridiculous, preposterous
and complete falsehood. There is neither historical, archeological nor
anthropological evidence to indicate that the Fulanis ever inhabited
the Benue Valley at any time before the advent of the Tiv people or
any of the other ethnic groups of Benue State. What is a veritable and
verifiable historical fact is that the forces of the 1804 Islamic
Jihad led by the Fulani cleric, Usman Dan Fodio, were overwhelmingly
defeated at the Ushongo Hills in Tivland.

That explains why Islam could not be imposed on the Benue people nor
Emirs appointed to rule Benue as was the case elsewhere in Nigeria.

Therefore the recent claim by Miyetti Allah KautalHore that they were
in the Benue Valley before any of the existing ethnic nationalities is
not only ridiculous, it is a tissue of lies concocted from the pit of
hell to support a desperate and diabolical claim on our ancestral
lands. Knowing who the Fulani are and their penchant for changing
historical narratives to benefit their designs, we are not surprised.
They have severally attempted to hoist a post Jihad narrative of
Northern Nigerian identity that seeks to conscript Northern minorities
into a monolithic North in which they would be a mere footstool for
the caliphate.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Fulani claim of having settled in the
Benue Valley before the Tiv or any of the other ethnic nationalities
is a lie for several reasons:
i. For instance, Archaeological evidence in the Benue Valley going
back to the Early Iron Age at the site of IndyerMbakuv (Tse Dura)
excavated and dated by the Late Professor Bassey Andah of the
University of Ibadan, Ibadan to 2,300BC shows definite affinities with
the Tiv.
ii. Additional Archaeological evidence from the Nok site of Katsina
Ala also has affinities with other contemporary groups in the Middle
Benue Valley including the Tiv.
iii. Linguistic, Genetic and Historical evidence indicate that the Tiv
were part of the ancestral Bantu stock in the Nigerian Cameroonian
border well before the Fulani dispersal from the FutaJalon highlands.
The Fulani attempt to change the narrative at this belated time
confirms our suspicion that their interest in the Benue Valley is more
than the grass they seek for their cattle.

The attempt is a devious strategy to secure usufructuary rights to our
ancestral lands to be able to exploit the political and religious
opportunities that come with such rights. We challenge the Fulani to
tell the world where and when the Tiv specifically displaced them in
order to settle in the Benue Valley. If they cannot do this, they
should in the alternative tell the world where their ancestral lands
exist in the Benue Valley so that they can quietly move and establish
ranches for their livestock. Their desperate and bloody push for
grazing rights across the country for the Fulani of the 'whole world'
has adverse implications for national security, planning, health and
stability. The ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons within the
Sub-region does not include the indiscriminate movement of livestock
across national boundaries nor does it include the indiscriminate
movement of armed gangs masquerading as herdsmen.

The coming of Fulani herdsmen into the Benue valley is a recent
development; indeed a post-independence phenomenon occasioned by the
climate change- driven desert encroachment and the drying up of the
waters of the Lake Chad.

Their visits were seasonal and aimed at pasturing their cattle during
the dry season. The ECOWAS Protocol which allows free movement of the
peoples of the West African Sub-region does not in any way allow for
wanton destruction of lives, economic livelihood of a people, farm
lands, property and engagement in heinous criminal activities. Both
municipal and international law guarantee the inalienable rights of a
people to life, ownership of property, engagement in meaningful
economic activities to ensure their survival as long as such rights do
not infringe on the freedom of others.

The Fulanis had had a cordial relationship with our people overtime.
Now that they have resorted to criminal violation of the rights of the
people, clearly indicates that they have overstayed their welcome.

It must be emphasized that the Fulanis cannot claim to be struggling
with the Tiv people specifically or any other of the ethnic
nationalities in Benue State over natural resources; which obviously
refers to our land. It is axiomatic that the Fulanis are not
indigenous to Benue State and thus cannot lay claim to our resources
legally or culturally. If this is an attempt by the Fulanis to annex
and occupy our land, we are ready to resist this aggression with all
the legitimate means that we can mobilize. We inherited this land from
our forefathers and we shall protect it for our children and
generations yet to be born.

The Fulanis might be indigenous to several states in the far Northern
parts of Nigeria and thus may have customary rights to land in those
respective states. They may also have the legal rights and freedom to
acquire land for ranching in any part of the country, but the Benue
people will therefore resist all attempts by Fulanis to annex and
occupy our territory.

Let it be emphasized here that, we the Benue people take a very strong
exception to the characterization of the Anti-Open Grazing Law by the
leadership of the Mayetti Allah Kautal Hore as "wicked, obnoxious and
repressive" which is meant to criminalize the means of survival of the
Fulani people and as the "most wicked act any government can do to"
them and their economic interest, as most preposterous, conspiratorial
and confrontational.

The process of enacting this law followed all due procedures. The Bill
was read several times on the floor of the Benue State House of
Assembly; there was a call for memoranda from the public and then
public hearings. Consequently all pertinent views and interests were
collated before the Bill was eventually passed.

The "Open Grazing Prohibition Establishment Law 2017" was enacted by
elected representatives of the people, the Benue State House of
Assembly in exercise of her powers as provided for by section 4 of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
Part 2 of the second schedule to the Constitution reinforces that the
House of Assembly may make laws for the State with respect to
industrial, commercial and agricultural development of the State."

The feeling of the leadership of the Fulani herdsmen that the Law was
targeted to jeopardize their interest is unfortunate, unfounded and
baseless. The main objective of this Law is to bring to an end the
wanton destruction of innocent lives of the Benue people in their
hundreds and thousands, the monumental and callous pillage of farms
and farm produce worth billions of Naira, the unfathomable
humanitarian crises and the attendant social devastation of our
society occasioned by the displacement of millions of our people. The
consequences of these on the development of Benue State are
unimaginable and will linger on for several decades.

Let it be stated clearly here that the Law was therefore not aimed at
undermining the economic or social interest of the Fulanis or any
other ethnic nationality in Nigeria. Consequently the provision in the
Law for the establishment of ranches is to forestall the continued
devastation of the Benue land and to conform to global best-practices
for the management of livestock, which is also in the interest of
cattle herdsmen.

With regards to ownership of Benue Lands and the natural resources
therein, the preamble to the land Use Act which is also a
Constitutional provision vests all land compromised in the territory
of each State (except land vested in the federal government or its
agencies) solely in the Governor of the State, who would hold such
Land in trust for the people and would henceforth be responsible for
allocation of land in all urban areas to individuals resident in the
state and to organizations for residential, agriculture, commercial
and other purposes while similar powers will with respect to non urban
areas are conferred on Local Governments.

Section 1 of the Act, further provides that all land comprised in the
territory of each State in the Federation are hereby vested in the
Governor of the State and such shall be held in trust and administered
for the use and common benefit of all Nigerians in accordance with the
provisions of the Act.

A combined reading of the above Constitutional provisions revealed in
clear terms that the State Governor is responsible for allocation of
land in all urban areas to individuals resident in the State and
organizations for residential, agricultural, commercial and other
purposes while similar powers are conferred on Local Governments with
respect to non-urban areas. The Benue State Anti-Grazing Law is
therefore Legal and valid.

The Mdzough U Tiv, the Idoma National Forum and the Omi Ny'Igede
strongly feel that the Anti-Open Grazing Law is the most civilized and
best lasting solution that will resolve this perennial problem between
our farmers and Fulani herdsmen which has unleashed the worst
humanitarian crisis ever witnessed in the life of our society and
Benue State in general.

While we concede and acknowledge the right of the Miyetti Allah Kautal
Hore to legally challenge the Anti-Open Grazing Law, we are most
perturbed by their call for total rejection of this Law especially
their avowed position to mobilize all herdsmen in the country to
resist the Law.

The bellicosity of this declaration cannot be lost to any discerning
mind. Our position is informed by the publication in the Vanguard News
paper of Thursday June 1st 2017 at page 5 in which we quote "In 2014
the Global Terrorism Index ranked herdsmen as the fourth deadliest
group in the world after Boko Haram, ISIS and Al-shabab." This current
declaration is a clear cut manifestation of war tendencies by the
herdsmen against our peace-loving people of Benue State.

The Mdzough U Tiv, the Idoma National Forum and the Omi Ny'Igede
strongly call on the Ag. President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria,Prof.Yemi Osibanjo, to immediately order the arrest of the
President of Miyetti Allah, Abdullahi Bello and the Secretary, Saleh
Alhassan and charge them for inciting the herdsmen against the Benue
people. If Federal Government feels reluctant and unwilling to do
this, we are taking the herdsmen to court.

If this is not done urgently any breakdown of law and order and
further destruction of lives and property by the Fulani herdsmen will
be blamed on the Federal Government for not living up to its
constitutional responsibility.

We also call on our representatives in the National Assembly to rise
up to the occasion and mobilize national support for the Benue people
in order to forestall the impending genocide and annexation of our
God-given land by the Fulani herdsmen.

In conclusion, the Mdzough U Tiv, the Idoma National Forum and the Omi
Ny'Igede wish to express their strong appreciation of the proactive
position of the Governor of Benue State, His Excellency, Samuel Ortom;
the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Terkimbi
Ikyange, all members of the State House of Assembly and all those who
contributed in various ways to facilitate the passage of the Law.
Their names will forever be in the book of heroes when the history of
this country is written for bravely standing up to protect the lives
and properties of their people when those who were given the
responsibility seemed to have shied away.

We wish to place on record our untrammeled and solid support for the
Government of Benue State over the enactment of this Law and assure
her that we shall do everything within our powers to see its
successful implementation.

The Mdzough U Tiv, the Idoma National Forum and the Omi Ny'Igede
hereby invite all Benue sons and daughters, all social cultural
organizations across the country, their friends and well-wishers,
(both at home and in the Diaspora) to mobilize and harness all
possible support and resources to ensure that this Law is implemented
in order to safeguard the lives and property of the Benue people, and
also to avert possible genocide against our people by the Miyetti
Allah Kautal Hore.

Chief Engr. Edward Ujege , FNSE,MFR
(Zege Mule U KOnshisha)
President-General , Mdzough U Tiv
Barr. Amali Adoya Amali
President General, Idoma National Forum
Chief. Ode Enyi
(Ogbodo Ukpa)
President General, Omi Ny'Igede

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