Benue massacres: Alago union urges President Tinubu to direct NBC to demarcate Nasarawa/Benue border

By Muhammed Danjuma Ogwu, Lafia

A socio-cultural group under the umbrella of the Alago Ikweyi Gbayi Development Union (AIGDU), Nasarawa state chapter, has called on president Bola Tinibu to expeditiously direct the National Boundary Commission (NBC), to carry out a physical demarcation of the delineated boundary between Nasarawa and Benue states border to tackle the persistent gunmen attacks that has continued unabated which have claimed several lives of innocent ones, including children and pregnant women.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed by president of AIGDU Mohammed Oshafu and the publicity Secretary of the association, Hassan Ozegya and obtained by our correspondent in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital on Sunday.

The call is coming on the heel of the statement made by the Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse during the president Tinibu’s visit to Benue State over the recent attacks on Yelwata a border between Nasarawa and Benue states on Wednesday, June 19, 2025 that have claimed many lives and scores houses razed down in the skirmishes.

Our correspondent reports that Professor James Ayatse, the Tor Tiv had during the President Tinubu visit to Benue State claimed that his people lands who are indigenes of Nasarawa state are being taken away from them, and they are being called non indigenes of the State, insisted that Yelwata is in Guma local government area of Benue State and not in Nasarawa state.

However, the statement further pointed out that the claimed by the Tor Tiv that the Tiv people were dispossessed of their ancestral lands in the Keana, Obi, and Awe local government areas of Nasarawa state were furious and quite untrue, affirming that Yelwata is historically is an Alago (Alagon Omere) village which comprises of Alago and Gwandara tribes and Tiv tribe later joined them, among others.

“The area is part and portion of Keana local government area of Nasarawa state. Apart from colonial and other modern-day records, recent Google maps also confirmed that Yelwata is in Nasarawa state as originally demarcated.

While this claim is not controvertible, our position is not in support of crisis and killings in our land that had peacefully welcome all Nigerians and foreigners alike to settle peacefully a d together with our people.

And pursue their daily quests for livelihood in harmony,” the statement concluded.

The association, however, distanced itself from the claims and counter claims on the remote and immediate causes of the recent attacks on Yelwata, adding that all the skirmishes that are linked to the unfortunate incident which claimed several lives of innocent people are unknown to them.

According to them, the Tiv people do not have any ancestral land in the Keana, Obi, and Awe local government areas of Nasarawa state, stating that the Alago founders of Keana and Obi LGAs are the ancestors and owners of the lands.

According to the statement, “AIGDU wishes to register its sympathize with the people of Nasarawa state and Benue State, over the recent unfortunate attacks on the inhabitants of Yelwata, a border close to Nasarawa-Benue border where several lives were lost.”

The statement while commiserating with the families of the deceased, associates and other Nigerians that were caught in the sad incident, commended President Tinubu for his timely intervention and his condolence visit to access the devasted nature of the attacks and also the level of damage on the affected communities.

The statement, therefore, continued, “Keana was established in 1232 AD and had its territory stretched up to the North Bank of Makurdi. It was the colonial administration that reduced Keana territory down to in-between Daudu and Yelwata.”

They, therefore, maintained that the appealed to president Tinibu’s was based on the extent boundary instruments, saying this would make the authorities and inhabitants of the two states know the specific points and extent of their respective jurisdictions for administrative, political, economic and allied roles in order to avert further infringement of peace, security and safety of the people in the area and the nation at large.

It would be recalled that President Tinubu had on June 18, 2025 visited Makurdi, the Benue State capital to condole with the people of Benue State over the recent killings of innocent people including children and pregnant women in Yelwata a border between Nasarawa and Benue state with a view to addressing the prevailing insecurity in the areas.