The paramount ruler of the Tiv Nation, His Royal Majesty, Professor James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse, has called on the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to take urgent and decisive action against criminal elements operating under the guise of herders.
Speaking during a high-level meeting with MACBAN representatives at the Government House in Makurdi, the Tor Tiv acknowledged the association’s verbal condemnations of crime but urged it to back words with action.
He expressed deep concern over the increasing security threats posed by individuals exploiting the identity of herders to perpetrate violence and mayhem across Benue communities.
“The difficulty with this issue is that we are dealing with both herders and criminal herders,” he stated.
“It’s like a situation where mechanics are going about their business and madmen have joined them, yet all are dressed the same.
If you come here and tell us that a few criminal elements are spoiling the reputation of everyone, the first thing you must do is drive out the madmen among you.”
The monarch painted a contrast between traditional Fulani herders—known for their peaceful coexistence with farming communities—and the modern reality of heavily armed and violent herders.
He recalled how herders in the past used simple sticks to guide their livestock and took care not to destroy farmlands.
“The original herders we knew would use sticks to guide their animals, ensuring they did not destroy farmlands. That was the herder we grew up with,” he noted.
Referring to discussions held among northern traditional rulers, the Tor Tiv dismissed the argument that violent behavior among some herders is a cultural issue that needs time to change. He questioned the moral foundation of any culture that condones violence.
“Is it the culture of killing and destruction?” he asked. “Because the nomadic lifestyle of old never caused problems—it never involved killing, land-grabbing, or rape.”
He decried the wave of killings, rape, farmland destruction, and displacement of entire communities attributed to armed herders, stressing that such behavior cannot be excused or normalized.
“Any culture that kills, maims, and destroys does not deserve to continue. It must end immediately,” the traditional ruler declared.
The Tor Tiv, however, affirmed that law-abiding herders who seek peaceful coexistence would always find a welcome in Benue State.
“If you come with herds, we will show you where the grass is green. But if you come to kill and destroy, that is an alien culture we cannot tolerate in Benue State.”
He concluded with a stern message to MACBAN leadership: “Deal with your internal issues.
Don’t say you don’t know them. They dress like you, talk like you, and carry AK-47s like you. If they walk like you and kill like you, how can you claim they are not part of you?”
The Tor Tiv’s remarks come amid rising tensions and ongoing debates about farmer-herder relations in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, where clashes have led to loss of lives, displacement, and deepening ethnic divisions.
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