James Ayatse, the Tor Tiv of Benue State, has described the ongoing violence in the state as a “calculated genocidal invasion” by herder terrorists and bandits, rejecting long-standing portrayals of the conflict as mere farmer-herder clashes or communal skirmishes.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting held Wednesday during President Bola Tinubu’s official visit to Benue, Ayatse condemned what he called dangerous mischaracterizations of the crisis, warning that they obscure the true nature of the violence and delay effective solutions.

“We do have grave concerns about the misinformation and misrepresentation of the security crisis in Benue State,” Ayatse stated.
“It is not herder-farmers clashes, it is not communal clashes, it is not reprisal attacks or skirmishes.”

He insisted that the repeated bloodshed including the recent massacre of over 200 people in Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area is part of a long-term campaign aimed at displacing indigenous communities and seizing land.

“What we are dealing with here in Benue is a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder terrorists and bandits, which has been going on for decades and is worsening every year.
Wrong diagnosis will always lead to wrong treatment,” he said.

The monarch cautioned against calls for tolerance and dialogue, saying such responses underestimate the severity of what he described as a “war” on Benue communities.

President Tinubu, who also visited hospitals to meet with survivors and engaged traditional and political leaders, vowed decisive action, directing security agencies to identify, arrest, and prosecute those responsible for the latest attacks.

The President’s visit follows growing national outrage over the bloodshed and intensifies calls for a comprehensive and accurate response to Nigeria’s rural security crisis.