No Room for killer herdsmen in Benue – Tor Tiv tells MACBAN

The Tor Tiv, Orchivirigh Professor James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse, has issued a strong call to the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), urging the group to take firm action against criminal elements hiding under the identity of herders.

Speaking during a meeting with MACBAN representatives, the paramount ruler acknowledged the concerns raised by the association but insisted that the security crisis in Benue is not merely about herding, but about a dangerous infiltration of criminal herders.

“The difficulty with this issue is that we are dealing with both herders and criminal herders,” the Tor Tiv said, using a vivid analogy to describe the situation. “It’s like a case where mechanics are going about their work and madmen have joined them, yet all are dressed the same. If you claim that a few bad elements are damaging the reputation of all herders, then the first thing to do is to identify and drive out the madmen among you.”

He emphasized that traditional herders known to Benue communities in the past were peaceful and mindful of their environment. “The original herders we grew up with used sticks to guide their animals and ensured they did not destroy farmlands,” he noted.

Recalling a meeting of northern traditional rulers years ago, the Tor Tiv rejected the notion that violent behavior could be excused as cultural. “Someone said, ‘You cannot change the culture of people overnight.’ But what culture are we talking about—killing, destruction, and land grabbing? The old nomadic lifestyle never brought such pain.”

He condemned the activities of heavily armed herders who, according to reports, have been responsible for killings, sexual violence, destruction of farmland, and the displacement of entire communities. “Any culture that kills, maims, and destroys does not deserve to be preserved. That culture must end now,” he declared.

While assuring that Benue remains hospitable to peaceful and law-abiding herders, the Tor Tiv issued a firm warning: “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 will not tolerate in Benue State.”

He concluded by urging MACBAN to take responsibility for cleansing its ranks. “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 say they’re not part of you?”