The leading socio-cultural body of the Tiv nation, Mzough u Tiv (MUT), has issued a desperate appeal to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to declare a state of emergency on security in Benue State. The call comes in response to the unrelenting violence that has plagued the state, characterized by mass killings, kidnappings, and bandit raids.
A Desperate Plea from Tiv Leadership
Speaking in Makurdi on Monday, December 15, 2025, the President-General of MUT, CP Iorbee Ihagh (rtd), conveyed the group's grave concerns to The Guardian. Ihagh, reiterating a position he first stated during the Tiv Day celebration in Gboko over the weekend, emphasized the community's refusal to cede their ancestral land or live under constant threat.
"I want to state categorically that we do not want our land to be taken from us in whatever guise," Ihagh declared. "Neither do we want to cohabit with our enemies, particularly, the armed Fulani herdsmen that have been killing and maiming us on our own land and also raping our wives and daughters."
Government's Primary Duty Questioned
The retired police commissioner directly challenged the Federal Government to fulfill its fundamental constitutional role. "Government exists primarily for the protection of lives and properties," he stated. Drawing a stark contrast, he noted that while nations like America could go to war over the loss of a single citizen, hundreds are killed in Benue with what appears to be minimal governmental concern.
Ihagh further expressed a widely held suspicion regarding the prolonged crisis. "It has been stated that the government is likely to have a hand in any crisis that lasts for more than three days," he said. "It is our firm belief that the government knows the perpetrators of these acts, so they should be arrested because no one is above the law."
Farmers Displaced, Food Security at Risk
The MUT leader highlighted a dire consequence of the insecurity that extends beyond immediate violence: a looming food crisis. He pointed out that a significant portion of Benue's active farming population has been forced from their homes and lands, now confined to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps for an extended period.
This mass displacement has severely disrupted agricultural activities in the state, traditionally known as Nigeria's food basket. Food was fast becoming scarce, Ihagh warned, because those who produce it have been turned into refugees in their own state, unable to access their farms due to fear and violence.
The group's urgent demand underscores a deepening humanitarian and security emergency in Benue, calling for decisive federal intervention to restore order, enable displaced persons to return home, and prevent a collapse in food production.
