The continued Jukun/Tiv crisis in Taraba is threatening food shortage as more and more farming communities are displaced, write NATHANIEL GBAORON, in Jalingo
For two farming seasons running now, farmers in Taraba State especially Tiv and Jukun are finding it difficult to go to their farms following attacks and reprisals in southern and parts of central senatorial districts of the state.
What began as a little misunderstanding in Kente between two neighbours; Tiv and Jukun in Wukari Local Government Area of the state on April 1, 2019 has spread to all the local government areas in the southern zone and Gassol and Bali in central zone.
Many have blamed government’s inaction as the reason for the prolonged crisis. Both Tiv and Jukun locals who spoke with our correspondent said the failure of Governor Darius Ishaku to visit the crisis areas since April last year has contributed greatly to the escalation of the crisis.
Though the state government has initiated series of peace meetings, there appears to be a missing link since the fruits of the deliberations are yet to reflect in the current trend of events as the attacks continue spread.
Worried by the prolonged feud between the two groups, the forum of clergy of Tiv extraction recently rose from a meeting and called on the Taraba State government to rethink her strategies in addressing the crisis.
The cleric wrote, “We are worried that it has become a habit that our elected government officials find it difficult to visit communities that are attacked. Even when attempts are made, it is often one-sided.
“This same attitude is often transferred to those living in IDP camps, where they suffer less care and attention. This seeming lack of empathy will only continue to breed the seeds of mistrust and will make the government appear complicit.
“Today, the rate of spread of hate speeches, blackmail, and name calling sometimes orchestrated by organs and functionaries of government remains worrisome too.”
The position of the clergy forum may not be unconnected to the Taraba State government position paper at the peace meeting in Lafia where the government appeared to have taken side with the Jukun, blaming the Tiv for attacking the Jukun.
Closely related is the alarm by the Caretaker Chairman of Donga local government Council, Nashuka Ipeyen who claimed on a national television that a helicopter dropped arms for the Tiv militia at Ananum.
But despite the claim, Jukun militia attacked Ananum village on two consecutive times and razed the entire village without resistance from anywhere, rising questions about the sincerity of his claims.
This position has fueled the crisis to an unprecedented level. To some, the fear of domination, occasioned by the growing population of the Tiv in Taraba, remains the root cause of the crisis.
The lingering crisis which has destroyed the economic viability of the areas under attack is also threatening food security of the entire state as the epic centre of agricultural production is now a no go area.
The implications of the over one year crisis remain grievous. Today, there is widespread hunger and starvation in Taraba with a tendency of escalation to other parts of the country.
For two consecutive years today, most farmers cannot access their farms due to fear of attack. Those who attempt to go to farm risk death and many people have been killed in such attempts.
Residents recount losses
Residents of the affected communities in southern zone have continued to recount their losses in the crisis in southern and central Taraba. Amayikai Shekarau told our correspondent that her rice mill was destroyed when Tiv militia attacked Sondi in Wukari Local Government Area of the state.
“Businesses are not moving again. I have relocated to Wukari, but things haven’t changed. The crisis has affected businesses and life generally in our area.
“The truth is that most of our customers are Tiv who have been displaced and can’t come to Wukari market at the moment. We were only left with students who were also forced to stay at home because of Covid-19.
“I want to call on Governor Darius Ishaku and his Benue counterpart, Samuel Ortom to jointly find a lasting solution to the crisis,” Shakarau said.
Village head of Ananum community, Elder Isaac Ilkyambe Ananum who lost relations and the entire village to the crisis lamented that the entire village was destroyed by the fire power of Jukun militia who he alleged were accompanied by soldiers when the village was attacked on May 7 and June 6, 2020.
“This village is one of the most economically viable places in Donga local government. Go to the market square and see the level of damages caused by the Jukun militia.
“No one in government circle is talking about what we are going through. Thousands of people have been displaced here and the entire village destroyed.
“All the two attacks happened on a market day, taking people unawares. People who stored goods and those who had investments here lost them in the crisis.
“The best attention we got was the allegation by the Donga council Chairman, Nashuka Ipeyen that a helicopter landed here with arms. I am still waiting for the proof of the allegations and who authorises the helicopter to fly the air space when the federal government lockdown the country over Covid-19.
“This is the same place he said helicopter brought arms, but his people came and destroyed the entire village and cut down our economic trees,” Ilkyambe lamented.
A businessman in Taraba, Samuel Nege said he lost over N40 million worth of rice and property in the Jukun/Tiv crisis when his warehouse was attacked.
Nege said irate youths had on Sunday, May 17, invaded his house in Gidin Dorowa and carted away 1,400 bags of rice, destroyed his store and houses.
Nege said: “We all know the economic implication of not having farm produce; the prices of food items will increase and hunger will become the order of the day.
“I want to call on the Federal government to rise and put a stop to the crisis for the good of all.”
While the elite continue to engage in high profile peace meetings, the locals want the Taraba State government to as matter of urgency, deploy security forces to the affected villages in the Southern and Central zones to end the killings and ensure their safe return.
Top on the list of their demands is that government should assist in providing housing and farming materials to enable them to pick up their lives and move on.
The Taraba State government recently constituted a Commission of enquiry to find out the remote and immediate courses of the Jukun-Tiv crisis as well as other tribal conflicts in the state.
