Tor Tiv to Tinubu: Benue Is Facing a Full-Scale Genocide, Not Clashes

In what is arguably the most damning and direct assessment of the security crisis in Benue State, Tor Tiv V, His Royal Majesty, Prof. James Ayatse, has dropped a bombshell-declaring that the killings in Benue are not "clashesÔÇØ but a calculated, full-scale genocidal invasion by herder terrorists and bandits.

Speaking during a crucial stakeholder meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, the foremost traditional ruler of the Tiv nation boldly dismissed what he described as "misinformation and dangerous misdiagnosesÔÇØ by those peddling the narrative of herder-farmer clashes.

"Your Excellency, it's not herder-farmer clashes, it's not communal skirmishes, and it's not reprisal attacks. What we are facing in Benue is a coordinated and calculated genocide,ÔÇØ the monarch stated emphatically.

He warned that repeated mischaracterization of the killings as communal disagreements or land disputes has only led to misguided peace talks and pressure on the Benue people to accept what he described as slow extermination and forced displacement.

The Tor Tiv was firm in his position, saying, "This is not about learning to live with your neighbors. This is war.ÔÇØ

According to Tor Tiv, the atrocities, often blamed on "unknown gunmenÔÇØ or reduced to farmer-herder misunderstandings, are actually part of an intentional land-grabbing campaign fueled by terror and strategic displacement.

"Wrong diagnosis leads to wrong treatment. The world needs to know that what is happening here is far more sinister,ÔÇØ he added.

His powerful remarks have once again brought national attention to the deteriorating security situation in Benue State, a region that has suffered repeated massacres, mass displacements, and systematic attacks allegedly carried out by armed Fulani herdsmen.

Observers say the Tor Tiv's statement represents a bold challenge to the federal government's approach to the crisis and a clear call for military-style response rather than peace advocacy.

President Tinubu, who was present at the meeting, is yet to issue a detailed response, but the escalating tension and fear of ethnic cleansing now demand a firmer and more urgent national security strategy.

The traditional ruler's emotional appeal is already stirring wide reactions among advocacy groups, opposition politicians, and displaced persons, many of whom say they have been sounding similar alarms for years with no tangible response.

As Benue bleeds, the question remains: How much longer will the nation watch while a calculated genocide unfolds?