The pamphlet confirmed that the military had come to provide cover for armed Fulani herdsmen to take over our land. Here is a translation of the message on the flyer which had a picture of a farmer and a herder conversing.
Fulani herder: I'm your brother, I move with cattle which are as important as your farm produce.
Tiv farmer: I'm your brother and a farmer; my farm produce is just as important as your cattle.
Fulani herder: I will no longer destroy your farm produce and longer kill your people. You are my brother, we should live in peace.
Tiv farmer: I too will no longer rustle or kill your cattle. You are my brother, let us live in peace.
The message in the flyer which is issued by the Department of Civil Military Affairs, Army Headquarters underscores basic assumptions and erroneous impressions.
It is clear from the flyer that the military has acknowledged that the Fulani herdsmen are responsible for the large scale massacre and massive destruction in our land.
Yet, without addressing issues of justice, reparation and compensation, they are compelling Benue people to accommodate the perpetrators of the heinous atrocities.
Moreover, there is no reference to the Open Grazing Prohibition and Establishment of Ranches Law 2017, which addresses the fundamental issues of making both the farmers and the herders to coexist in peace.

AYEM AKPATUMA MESSAGE UNACCEPTABLE
We wish to express our profound displeasure at the emerging trends of the military operation tagged Ayem a kpatema.
The general public may recall our initial apprehension about the real mission of troops deployed to Benue state.
True to our predictions, the flag off of the exercise yesterday confirmed our fears. A pamphlet circulated by the Nigerian Army has defined the real intention of the military in Benue state.
The military is not only silent on the law, but has encouraged open grazing with all its concomitant consequences.
This silence on the law points to the fact that they are not in its support and are not ready to ensure its enforcement.
The military has also assumed very wrongly that Benue people are responsible for cattle rustling which is not the case as rustling can only be undertaken by professionals in cattle rearing.
It is basic knowledge that only herdsmen engage in that business.
From the pamphlet's message, it is clear that the military exercise in Benue State is to provide cover for herdsmen to take over the land.
This is unacceptable.
If the military are to be relevant in the state, they must assist in chasing away the invaders and restoring peace which can only be possible through the enforcement of the anti open grazing law.
The publication of the pamphlet in the Tiv language gives the impression that the Tiv are the target of the exercise, whereas the herdsmen attacks cut across the entire Benue State which is multi ethnic.
This profiling of the Tiv people is also unacceptable.
Signed:
Engr. Edward Ujege,
President General
Mdzough u Tiv
February 21, 2018

Shame on Buhari, shame on NA. see what they have been reduced to. Buhari is in support of his murderous brothers. therefore, Buhari is d chief terrorist.

I can remember when I was shouting on my lungs begging my fellow middlebelters (the Tivs) not to vote for Buhari, they all ignored me and others. Let them enjoy the change they voted for. ..... They are learners if they were expecting Buhari to support anti-open grazing.

Tivs are lucky they control the Benue state govt and at least have some control on how to project their views.

Bachama people suffered worse in the hands of the fulanis but because they do not control Adamawa state govt, their own story is not well heard.

I can bet that if it was the Idomas or Agatus who fulanis are disturbing like this currently, the governor and the state govt wouldn't have taken it so seriously. Rubbish.

Nowenuse:
I can remember when I was shouting on my lungs begging my fellow middlebelters (the Tivs) not to vote for Buhari, they all ignored me and others. Let them enjoy the change they voted for.

Are you saying the Fulani herdsmen are killing hapless Benue people because your people voted for Buhari? This logic doesn't make any sense, pls. Herdsmen and Buhari are both Fulani, so what is now your point? Criticise and stop bringing the issue of vote into it because there's no relationship between the two.

Nowenuse:
I can remember when I was shouting on my lungs begging my fellow middlebelters (the Tivs) not to vote for Buhari, they all ignored me and others. Let them enjoy the change they voted for. ..... They are learners if they were expecting Buhari to support anti-open grazing.

Tivs are lucky they control the Benue state govt and at least have some control on how to project their views.

Bachama people suffered worse in the hands of the fulanis but because they do not control Adamawa state govt, their own story is not well heard.

I can bet that if it was the Idomas or Agatus who fulanis are disturbing like this currently, the governor and the state govt wouldn't have taken it so seriously. Rubbish.

Until borders are erected to profile who enters Middle Belt, I can say with great horror that the Christian communities of the North will go into extinction in the next 50 years.

More and more Fulani Herdsmen are migrating towards the Middle Belt region. If you doubt me, ask any immigration or customs officer assigned to the North of Nigeria.

Daviddson:
Are you saying the Fulani herdsmen are killing hapless Benue people because your people voted for Buhari? This logic doesn't make any sense, pls. Herdsmen and Buhari are both Fulani, so what is now your point? Criticise and stop bringing the issue of vote into it because there's no relationship between the two.

He is saying, that if his people had stood by Jonathan, the Fulani Terrorists would have been checkmated by now.

Daviddson:
Are you saying the Fulani herdsmen are killing hapless Benue people because your people voted for Buhari? This logic doesn't make any sense, pls. Herdsmen and Buhari are both Fulani, so what is now your point? Criticise and stop bringing the issue of vote into it because there's no relationship between the two.

I am only trying to say that if an ethnic bigot like Buhari wasn't in power, the situation in Benue would have been better managed. The anti-open grazing law would have been better effected by the armed forces.

HiddenShadow:



Until borders are erected to profile who enters Middle Belt, I can say with great horror that the Christian communities of the North will go into extinction in the next 50 years.

More and more Fulani Herdsmen are migrating towards the Middle Belt region. If you doubt me, ask any immigration or customs officer assigned to the North of Nigeria.

You have a strong point.

Even if the Middlebelt was a country of it's own, Ecowas allows free movement within member states.

Nowenuse:

I am only trying to say that if an ethnic bigot like Buhari wasn't in power, the situation in Benue would have been better managed. The anti-open grazing law would have been better effected by the armed forces.

HiddenShadow:
He is saying, that if his people had stood by Jonathan, the Fulani Terrorists would have been checkmated by now.

So it was only Benue that made Buhari to win the election? Have herdsmen not been killing people for more than 30 years? Have herdsmen not killed people in the south south, east and west? Waiting for your answer.
You people have been turning logic on its head blaming Benue State for voting Buhari, just because Buhari won there. What sort of reasoning is that?

Daviddson:
So it was only Benue that made Buhari to win the election? Have herdsmen not been killing people for more than 30 years? Have herdsmen not killed people in the south south, east and west? Waiting for your amswer.
You people have been turning logic on its head blaming Benue State for voting Buhari, just because Buhari won there. What sort of reasoning is that?

Let us start first by asking you this question

Which Ethnic Group are you from.?

Twisted minds
Sentimental bigots
Are the tiv people innocent too?

The blame game has got to stop.
Truce by force.

Well done NA.

Nowenuse:


You have a strong point.

Even if the Middlebelt was a country of it's own, Ecowas allows free movement within member states.

Free movement of humans and not terrorists.

That is why Ghana government is shooting Fulani Terrorists within Ghana.

The earlier the border the safer the Middle Belt.

tunjiajayi:
Twisted minds
Sentimental bigots
Are the tiv people innocent too?

The blame game has got to stop.
Truce by force.

Well done NA.

yoloba muslim

fulani herdsmen are evil,period

They used the military to intimidate the people into not retaliating following Ortom's call for the people to defend themselves.

Khd95:
yoloba muslim

fulani herdsmen are evil,period

Yanmiri youth, one of your leaders described you aptly- jobless and being used by the devil.

I warned the Benue people that the presence of the Army in their state will be to to scuttle the implementation the Anti Grazing bill and provide security for herdsmen as the flagrantly disregard the law with reckless abandon

FarahAideed:
I warned the Benue people that the presence of the Army in their state will be to to scuttle the implementation the Anti Grazing bill and provide security for herdsmen as the flagrantly disregard the law with reckless abandon

Unfortunately, Tivs are amongst the least intelligent Christian ethnic group in Nigeria.

That is why they keep shouting about the 500,000 Tiv lives they wasted to keep Nigeria One.

tunjiajayi:


Yanmiri youth, one of your leaders described you aptly- jobless and being used by the devil.

Mr Fulani be claiming Yoruba identity.

Benue people brought this upon themselves,shebi they were shouting Sai Baba 2915?

Sai Baba came and came along with his people so baabu magana.

I can't see any AK-47 in the pamphlet

God be wif dem

HiddenShadow:


He is saying, that if his people had stood by Jonathan, the Fulani Terrorists would have been checkmated by now.

story story


b4 nko?

HiddenShadow:



Unfortunately, Tivs are amongst the least intelligent Christian ethnic group in Nigeria.

That is why they keep shouting about the 500,000 Tiv lives they wasted to keep Nigeria One.

u just insulted a whole tribe

Nowenuse:
I can remember when I was shouting on my lungs begging my fellow middlebelters (the Tivs) not to vote for Buhari, they all ignored me and others. Let them enjoy the change they voted for. ..... They are learners if they were expecting Buhari to support anti-open grazing.

Tivs are lucky they control the Benue state govt and at least have some control on how to project their views.
You are right bros river people have a slave mentality
Bachama people suffered worse in the hands of the fulanis but because they do not control Adamawa state govt, their own story is not well heard.

I can bet that if it was the Idomas or Agatus who fulanis are disturbing like this currently, the governor and the state govt wouldn't have taken it so seriously. Rubbish.

You re right bros river people have a slavish mentality towards the north, they preferred being slaughtered by the north than join the south. The way the carried the say buhari madness in 2015, they were more zealous that the core north. What is happening is a bitter lesson that weak men are better than wicked men. Igbo may cheat you, yoruba may marginalize you but hausa fulani will slit your neck. I doubt if their mumu done do.

Good job N.A.

godliman:

You re right bros river people have a slavish mentality towards the north, they preferred being slaughtered by the north than join the south. The way the carried the say buhari madness in 2015, they were more zealous that the core north. What is happening is a bitter lesson that weak men are better than wicked men. Igbo may cheat you, yoruba may marginalize you but hausa fulani will slit your neck. I doubt if their mumu done do.

Gbam.

But it seems like auto-correct on your keyboard changed your spelling of Tiv to River. Check.

I strongly believe that Tivs have learnt their lessons. The next election will give us a -clearer hint