He said claims that the killings were linked to farmer-herder clashes were responsible for suggestions to the Benue people to remain tolerant.
The Tor Tiv V, James Ayatse, has dismissed claims that the killings in Benue State are the results of clashes between herders and farmers, describing such claims as misinformation.
He spoke during the ongoing meeting between President Bola Tinubu and stakeholders in Benue on Wednesday.
He said that such information had led to suggestions to the Benue people to remain tolerant and learn to be accommodating.
Ayatse said that the killings were a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign in the state by “herder terrorists and bandits” that had been on for decades.
He said, “We do have grave concerns about the misinformation and misrepresentation of the security crisis in Benue State. Your Excellency, it’s not headers-farmers clashes, it’s not communal clashes, it’s not reprisal attacks or skirmishes.
“It is this misinformation that has led to suggestions such as ‘remain tolerant, negotiate for peace, learn to live with your neighbours’.”
“What we are dealing with here in Benue is a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land grabbing campaign by header terrorists and bandits, which has been going on for decades and is worsening every year.
“Wrong diagnosis will always lead to wrong treatment. So, we are dealing with something far more sinister than we think about. It’s not learning to live with your neighbors; it is dealing with the war,” the traditional ruler added.
