By Peter Duru

The Governor has announced the suspension of five traditional rulers comprising two district heads and three kindred heads for their alleged complicity in land-related disputes in their domains.

District Head of Uvir Council Ward of Guma Local Government Area, James Abu, who was among those suspended, was immediately handed over to the Police for further investigation.

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Others suspended were the District Head of Ikov, Samuel Iorhule, Kindred head of Shilagh, Joseph Yar, Kindred head of Uninge, Aanger Ortese and Samuel Ayayo who is the Kindred head of Unyande.

This was part of the decisions reached Monday at the end of the first Tiv tribe Security and Stakeholders meeting in Makurdi which drew attendance from the 14 Tiv speaking Local Government Areas of the state.

The stakeholders ho blamed the lingering communal clashes on youths of the affected communities who enjoy the protection of their leaders vowed that the leadership of the state would not be handed over to criminals.

Reading the resolution of the meeting Governor Samuel Ortom said, “All the stakeholders were deeply concerned about the rising state of insecurity especially in Tiv land including herdsmen attacks, communal clashes, fetish activities that have been going on and land disputes.

“We took time to assess the situation and we came to the conclusion that all these crises are needless and they must cease. There must be peace for our people because there can be no meaningful development without peace.

“We have decided that henceforth no one will be spared if he is culpable of causing any form of crisis in Benue state.

“We have so far identified the youths in Tiv land for being culpable of creating most of the crisis that are going on but most times they are shielded by their elders and their communities.

“But we will not surrender our leadership to the youths because it is an abomination. We as elders and stakeholders must take up the responsibility to provide leadership to the youths in our various communities.

“We have also agreed to expand our security network from the state to the kindred level to help us nip some of the crisis in the bud and also be proactive to ensure that criminals did not take over our communities.

“We have also said that we are not going to surrender our lands to criminals to take over and give us leadership. This government, traditional rulers, stakeholders and security agencies will work closely together to ensure that we eliminate criminality in our society so that we can join forces to fight the pandemic we have today,” he added.

At the meeting were the Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator George Akume, Senators representing Benue North West and Benue North-East Senatorial Districts, Gabriel Suswam and Orker Jev respectively, as well as former Senate President, Dr Iyorchia Ayu and Senator Barnabas Gemade.

Others in attendance were Members of the House of Representatives from Benue North East and West, State House of Assembly Members led by the Speaker Rt. Titus Uba, religious and traditional leaders.