By Callistus Agwaza in Jalingo
The Tiv Cultural and Social Association (TCSA) in Taraba state, have asked security agencies and local authorities in Taraba South Senatorial District to desist from tagging Internally Displaced Tiv people, especially, in Wukari Local Government Area, as bandits.
President General of TCSA, Chief James Baka, stated this in a statement on Friday in Jalingo, the state capital.
He expressed dismay over the continuous tagging of displaced Tiv people in the Southern part of Taraba state as bandits, describing it as unfortunate.
Baka said the displaced Tiv people who attempt return to their ancestral homes were being killed in the name of bandits.
He said, recently, some Tiv IDPs returned to their communities in Ikyernum and Tor-Iorshagher villages in Wukari, as well as Akinde village in Donga LGA, but were attacked and killed.
The statement reads: “We wish to inform the general public that the Tiv people in the Southern part of Taraba, especially in Wukari Local Government Area have been displaced from their ancestral homes for over four years now, and are only seeking the state government’s intervention to return.
“We want to inform the general public that the Nigerian Army and local authorities in Wukari Local Government have deliberately tagged the Tiv IDPs in the area, and some parts of Donga LGA as bandits.
“They tagged them such that any attempt to return to their ancestral homes attracted death or arrest in the name of a bandits.
“How can a displaced person who is helplessly seeking government security and relief materials to return home be a bandit?
“Where does he have money to acquire weapons for banditry? We want anyone involved in such attitude to desist.
“Just recently, some IDPs returned to Ikyernum and Tor-Iorshagher villages in Wukari, as well as Akinde village in Dona LGA, but were attacked and killed.
“The Wukari LGA chairman, Hon. Dauda Samaila first went and asked the IDPs to return back to their IDP camps until they are ask to return before the helpless IDPs were attacked and killed the following morning.
“How can one who is a bandit allow himself to be severally attack and displaced without attacking back?
“We want the general public to know that Tiv displaced areas in Southern Taraba, especially in Wukari and some parts of Donga LGA, have now become safe aboard for criminals where they hide and carry out their criminal activities.
“For security agencies and the local authorities in the areas to continue attributing criminal activities in those area to the innocent Tiv IDPs who have fled the areas and are looking up to them for safe return is mischievous, a clear attempt to isolate the Tiv people and place them for destruction.
“We vehemently condemned all acts of criminality in Taraba state and pledge to never for once, aid criminality of any kind.
“We want the whole world to know that we are not bandits. We are IDPs whose rights have been denied.”
Baka appeal to the Chief of Army Staff and other heads of security agencies to take punitive measures against their personnel who have occupied Tiv ancestral villages and are deliberately preventing them from returning home.
“We appeal to the state and federal government deploy all immediate and necessary means to resettle all the IDPs, particularly in Wukari and Donga LGAs, to enable them prepare for the next farming season.”
The statement also appealed to government to provide relief materials for the IDPs.
