5 beheaded as hostilities resume between Tivs, Ijegu-Yache
By Victor UDU
Five persons have reportedly been beheaded as reprisal killings resumed between the Tiv people of Benue State and the Ijiegu-Yache of the Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Chief Jacob Uswa, Tiv leader in the community who confirmed this on Wednesday disclosed that many others have been maimed as hostilities resumed.
According to reports Yache boys allegedly beheaded three Benue boys on Sunday, 8th October 2023 while in their farms where they had gone to harvest cassava and killed two others in another farm and their heads allegedly displayed before the Yache people.
A youth leader in Ijiegu-Yache community, Augustine Adula while putting up a defense for their actions said they had to defend themselves when the Tiv militia attacked them in their farms.
He alleged that the Tivs have disregarded all agreements between them by going into their farms not only to harvest their crops but have attacked women and farmers.
“We have suffered incessant attacks from those Tiv settlers. They invade our community wearing military camouflages and some times unleashing surprise attacks through the bushes" , he disclosed.
“As a result, our boys have stopped their businesses and schools and have also taken positions in the bushes to defend our land and people, so that they can block the Tivs when they come surreptitiously,” Adula said.
According to Adula the situation has made life very difficult for them as markets and schools have not opened due to deep seated fears for their lives.
The cause of the hostilities is said to be the refusal by the Tivs to continue to pay royalties on the land they settled in. This led to killings and destruction of houses on both sides last month.
But the Tivs have claimed that having settled in the community for over 100 years, they are more of Cross Riverians than Benue State indigenes.
Both community leaders have expressed unhappiness that the numbers of security men, including soldiers sent to keep the peace between them are very few and are mostly in the town, leaving the hinterlands very porous for the killings to persist.
Earlier, the two deputy governors of both states, Peter Odey and Sam Ode of Cross River and Benue States, respectively, visited the community and appealed for cessation of hostilities while they worked towards peace.
Police PRO, Irene Ugbo said they had not received a formal report about the latest killings.
