House Probes Tiv-Fulani Clash

Turaki A. Hassan

1 July 2011

The House of Representatives yesterday passed a resolution seeking to institute an investigation into the incessant clash between Fulani herdsmen and Tiv farmers in Benue and Nasarawa states.

Adopting a motion sponsored by Rep Emmanuel Jimeh (PDP, Benue), the House approved the setting up of an ad-hoc committee to investigate the clash which led to dead of several people.

Jimeh lamented that over 50 persons have been killed, while schools within the Daudu and Igyungu-adze communities of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State were forced to close down due to the crisis.

But Rep. Aliyu Madaki (PDP,Kano) opposed the motion accusing Jimeh of being biased in his presentation and called for its rejection.

For his part, Rep Yakubu Dogara (PDP, Bauchi) express grief over the consistent clash between Fulani herdsmen and host communities across the country and alleged that in most cases mercenaries were being used in the crisis.

Similarly, the House also adopted another motion sponsored by Rep Godwin Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta) on the persistent boundary dispute between communities in Delta and Edo States and urged the Federal Government to check the unlawful attacks by mobilising men of the security agencies to the affected communities.

The MPs further directed the National Boundary Commission to release the final resolution of the matter to forestall the possible result of a full scale communal war in the area.

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