A group of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, of Tiv origin has called on the Taraba State Government and Governor Agbu Kefas to uphold constitutional provisions guaranteeing equal protection for all citizens, alleging ongoing discrimination and forced displacement in parts of the state.
The call was made on Monday in a press statement issued by Peter Achibo, leader of the Tiv IDP community, who expressed concern over what he described as a deliberate effort to evict Tiv people from their ancestral communities, particularly in Wukari Council.
Achibo criticized the state’s decision to acquire more than 150 hectares of land each from the communities of Ikyaior and Jandekyula for the establishment of a Military Forward Operating Base (FOB), claiming the move disproportionately affects Tiv returnees.
He alleged that while Jukun communities received security and government support to return home after the Jukun–Tiv conflict of April 1, 2019, Tiv IDPs continue to face “systematic obstruction” that has halted their return for more than five years.
According to him, 283 Tiv villages in Wukari, 69 in Donga, 37 in Ibi, and several others in Takum remain abandoned, leaving over 300,000 Tiv people displaced. Despite repeated appeals, Achibo said, the government has failed to provide adequate security for their safe resettlement.
“This response by the authorities has raised serious concerns of fairness, impartiality, and equity,” he said.
Achibo further alleged that the proposed acquisition of over 400 hectares of land is perceived by affected communities as “an escalation of marginalization,” targeting the few Tiv villages that have managed to return and resettle peacefully.
He listed several grievances Tiv people have endured in Taraba State, including lack of representation in traditional councils, political exclusion, denial of certificates of origin, limited access to government employment and promotions, the renaming of Tiv villages, imposition of external traditional rulers, and now alleged state-backed land grabbing.
Describing the situation as “purely unconstitutional and sentimental,” Achibo called on Governor Kefas to ensure equal protection under the law and facilitate the safe return of all displaced Tiv persons without fear of renewed violence.
IDPs accuse Taraba govt of unequal protection, alleged land dispossession
