Mike Ube, a young leader in Benue State’s Oju local government area and Ukpute community, has alerted people about the state’s impending genocide.
According to Ube, the Bonta Tiv militias of the Konshisha local government region have resumed their unjustified attacks on the Ukpute village. These attacks began more than a week ago, and there is no indication that the crisis will end anytime soon.
The youth leader for Ukpute issued a statement on Sunday, stating that the situation can only be saved by immediate action. The attacks, she added, are meant to stop the much-anticipated reopening of the boundaries between the two communities, Bonta and Ukpute, which the state government started a few weeks ago.
“The lingering expansionist annexation of minority land in Benue State is now taking a more dangerous and genocidal dimension,” the statement said.The Bonta Tiv militias of Konshisha LG have been launching fresh, unprovoked attacks on our community, Ukpute in Oju LGA, for more than a week, and there is no indication that this crisis will end anytime soon.
The attacks are merely meant to obstruct the eagerly anticipated reopening of the boundaries between the two communities of Bonta and Ukpute, which the State Government started a few weeks ago. Since the 14 LGAs that comprise the main Tiv speaking ethnic community in the State have been included in the mobilization for more attacks, the crisis is now spiraling out of control to genocidal proportions.Information came to light that a truckload of fighters were leaving various LGs in Tiv land to head towards Konshisha (Bonta) and start wreaking havoc on us.
We were taken aback on July 15, 24 when the State’s Commissioner of Police invited us to Tse Agbaragba, the aggressor LG’s headquarters, for a supposed peace meeting, without first sending his men to the crisis point to stop the onslaught.We were ensnared in the webs of fear and were unable to attend the meeting because we are still reeling from the horrific murder of 12 soldiers and an officer of the Nigerian Army approximately two years ago during similar attacks on us.
We are pleading with all interested parties, both inside and outside of Benue State, to act quickly to save us before we perish. Nigeria shouldn’t permit the Ruanda experience. Please, spare our life.