The enemies strike again: The government has been urged to step up efforts to protect the lives and property of the Tyoshim community in Gwer-West, Benue State, by the Forum of Tyoshim Academics (FoTA), which has denounced the ongoing bandit attacks on the community.
The call was made on Saturday following an incident that resulted in a blood bath on the Tyoshim village.
This was stated in a statement signed by Prof. John Anja, the national publicity secretary, and Prof. Patrick Ukase, the national president, on behalf of the forum.
“Today marks another day of mourning, another black day etched in the hearts of our community,” the statement reads. Suspected Fulani armed herdsmen have terrorised our people once more, this time along the Naka-Makurdi Road. The violence is still unrelenting. Five helpless lives that were hurriedly brought to a clinic for treatment have sadly passed away, their cries going unheeded. The precise number of individuals attacked is still unknown, while others are battling for their lives as they lie in agony.
The enormous toll that this violence has taken since 2011 is evident. Herders brutally killed 192 Tyoshin boys and girls between 2011 and 2017. The numbers increased, with 302 extra deaths in the area between 2018 and 2023. These herdsmen have brutally chopped down seventeen people just this year. The people who vanished and haven’t been seen since 2011 are not included in these numbers. Over 511 lives have been lost as a result of this unrelenting assault.
The pleas of Tyoshin Land are smothered in the thunderous stillness of apathy, and the land is bleeding. For far too long, our homes, our villages, and our entire existence have been under attack. The Gwer-West Local Government Area already has nine council wards under the control of these vicious attackers.
“The tragedy of today is only the gloomy continuation of a war that has devastated our country and left us broken and heartbroken. Only a few days prior, three more people were cruelly murdered in Camp-Nagi, Mbachohon, spilling the blood of our brothers and sisters.
However, the silence from those who have vowed to keep us safe is deafening in the face of this violence when the enemies strike again. The very authority that ought to be protecting the Tyoshin people has abandoned and discarded them.
The unsettling silence of both the Federal and Benue State governments serves as a sobering reminder of just how alone we really are. The military presence, which is supposed to provide protection, does nothing as the carnage goes on.
One by one, our people perish as these assailants walk around freely, fearless and undisturbed.
“How much longer must we put up with this suffering? How many more people have to perish before our pleas are heard? How many lives must be lost and towns destroyed before the world acknowledges Tyoshin’s land’s suffering? We are a people on the verge of extinction, but no one is responding to our cries.
“The enemies strike again, we implore you to come to our aid, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and His Excellency Rev Dr Iormen Alia, Governor of Benue State. The inhabitants of Tyoshin are being eliminated from the face of the planet. We demand justice, safety, and the freedom to live in our country without constantly worrying about dying. We do not beg for sympathy. Keep Tyoshin from ever being forgotten. Before it’s too late, take action today.”
