Tiv Traditional Council Orders Immediate Eviction of Fulani Herders from Benue Farmlands

The Tiv Area Traditional Council (TATC), led by His Royal Majesty, Orchivirigh Professor James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse, CFR, has issued a decisive order directing all Fulani herders to immediately vacate farmlands across Tivland in Benue State.

This resolution followed an emergency meeting convened at the Tor Tiv Palace in Gboko on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. The Council’s move comes in response to escalating security threats, particularly violent attacks by armed herders, which have severely disrupted farming activities across the region.

The Council condemned the ongoing violence that has led to the displacement of numerous farmers and the abandonment of agricultural operations in key Local Government Areas such as Kwande, Katsina-Ala, Logo, Ukum, Guma, Makurdi, Gwer-West, Gwer-East, and Buruku. With the planting season underway, the Council warned that continued herder attacks could plunge Tivland into a severe food crisis, further compounding the national food insecurity.

In a strongly worded statement, the TATC declared that the occupation of farmlands by herders is no longer tolerable. It called on political leaders and traditional authorities in the affected areas to act urgently to enforce the order and ensure herders vacate the lands by the end of May 2025.

The Council also urged the Benue State Government to provide security support and logistics to aid the safe return of displaced farmers and prevent further encroachment by herders. It emphasized that failure to act swiftly could lead to widespread hunger, instability, and economic decline both in the state and across Nigeria.

The Tiv Traditional Council reaffirmed its commitment to defending the lives, dignity, and livelihoods of its people, warning that it would not stand by while its communities suffer under continued aggression.