Tiv indigenes accuse Nasarawa govt of genocide, demand urgent federal action

Tiv communities in Nasarawa State have accused the state government of enabling widespread violence, forced displacement, and unlawful occupation of their ancestral lands.

In a statement issued by their legal representative, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Terkaa Jerry Aondo, the communities alleged that the attacks are being carried out with the backing or at least the complicity of the state authorities.

The statement alleged that the Nasarawa State Government has repeatedly ignored a valid court order and permitted ongoing aggression against Tiv villages. The communities specifically accused Governor Abdullahi Sule of violating judicial orders by personally visiting the disputed lands and launching a rice farming project on July 1, 2025, in Ayarkeke and Jangwa, both in Obi and Awe Local Government Areas.

According to the Tiv leadership, the violence has intensified in recent weeks, with numerous villages in Doma, Obi, Awe, Keana, and parts of Lafia Local Government Areas—including Akaha, Utsuwa, Usula, Udugh, Chabo, Wachi, and Ayarkeke—coming under attack. These assaults have reportedly forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes and seek refuge in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Agyaragu Town and Abaagu Village.

They cited a preservative court order Suit No. NSD/LF/44/2025 which bars the state from any activities on the disputed land. Despite this, the communities claim that the governor proceeded to initiate agricultural operations on these contested lands, describing the action as a “flagrant abuse of the rule of law and a direct provocation.”

The statement also condemned what it described as efforts to reclassify Tiv people as “settlers” in Nasarawa State, calling the label historically inaccurate and dangerously divisive. The Tiv communities warned that such rhetoric fuels ethnic tensions and could lead to violence similar to the deadly clashes experienced in the state between 2000 and 2001.

Highlighting the gravity of the situation, the Tiv leadership reported a recent incident in which Mr. Kyobo Ndar, a Tiv man, was brutally murdered and dismembered by suspected herdsmen on July 2, 2025, at Keberi-Biu in Rukubi Ward of Doma LGA, along the Ajimaka Road. They lamented the failure of the military to make any arrests despite prompt notification.

The communities called on the state government to immediately comply with the subsisting court order by halting all ongoing activities on the contested land. They also urged the federal government to deploy adequate security personnel to safeguard lives and property in the affected areas. In addition, they requested an independent and thorough investigation into the wave of violence, to ensure that perpetrators are identified and brought to justice.

The Tiv people appealed to the Nigerian Bar Association and other relevant legal institutions to address the government’s disregard for judicial authority, which they described as a dangerous threat to the rule of law. They also demanded the arrest and prosecution of individuals inciting ethnic hatred and division within Nasarawa State.

Concluding the statement, Aondo described the situation as both a humanitarian crisis and a legal emergency. He warned that continued silence and inaction could escalate the conflict, deepen ethnic animosities, and trigger another round of bloodshed.

“Our people are displaced, traumatized, and living in fear. The government must not ignore this. Peace must be restored, and justice must be served,” he said.

Efforts to reach the Nasarawa State Government for comments were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.