The pan-socio-cultural group of the Tiv ethnic group, Mdzough U Tiv Worldwide, has called on Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, to initiate an amnesty programme that would grant presidential pardons to all repentant bandits in the state.
The President-General of the socio-cultural group, retired Comptroller of Prisons Iorbee Ihagh, made this call in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday.
Ihagh expressed concern over the high rate of insecurity in Tiv land, particularly in the Sankera axis, which he described as the epicentre of insecurity in the state.
The President-General of Mdzough U Tiv lamented that Tiv land is currently under the joint control of Fulani armed herdsmen and local bandits, which, he said, has led to the complete collapse of the area’s economic base.
While accusing some indigenes of complicity in the insecurity in the Sankera axis, Ihagh called on the paramount ruler of the Tiv nation, Professor James Ayatse, to identify the individuals involved and ensure they are punished, to serve as a deterrent to others.
He acknowledged the efforts of the Catholic Bishop of Katsina-Ala Diocese, Most Rev. Isaac Bundepuun Dugu, for his tireless and fearless efforts to engage with Sankera sons and daughters, who have been feared by the public, including their own relatives.
The statement read in part: “The Government of Benue State should, as soon as feasible, initiate a well-designed amnesty programme, with a full briefing of the Federal Government, to grant safe presidential pardons to all repentant bandits, with the hope of rehabilitating and reintegrating them into their families and the Benue community.
“We also call on the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Nigerian security agencies, to redouble their efforts in safeguarding the lives, property, and ancestral homes of the Benue people.
“This, to the best of our knowledge, would guarantee the genuine peace needed to usher the entire Benue population into a renewed, secure, and productive society. Achieving this would also enhance food security in Benue State, Nigeria, and Africa at large.
