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THE TIV STORY
The TIV people from the middle-belt
region of Nigeria in West Africa can be found along longitude
7.5/latitude 8.0 degrees approximately north of equator. It is believed that the Tiv
settled in the Benue valley (covering the present Benue and parts of
Nasarawa and Taraba States), which later became a part of the
ancient Kwararafa Kingdom which was a dominant political power in the
region for centuries.
Kwararafa had developed into a strong militarist state by the end
of the 17th century, having built up its power in the Gongola
Valley for several centuries earlier.
For the most of the 17th century, Kwararafa attacked
Kano and other Hausa States as well as Borno. The location of the headquarters
of the kingdom was about 83 Kilometers north of the present Wukari,
between Dan Anacha and Sabon Gida in Gassol Local Government Area in the
present Taraba State.
The Hausa to the northwest, Kanuri to the northeast, and the Igbo
and the Atlantic Ocean to the South bordered Kwararafa kingdom. Other ethnic groups in the
middle-belt included the Igala, Ebirra, Gwari, Nupe, Alago Eggon, Mada,
Angas, Taroh, Goemai, Idoma and some others, which were vassal states to
the Kwararafa Kingdom.
By the end of the 18th century, the Tiv had fully
taken positions in the Benue valley (Benue state, and parts of Taraba &
Nasarawa states) and their population of agrarians continued to
increase; at first, the no one seemed to bother but the Jukuns soon
became restless.
The Tiv Society was explained in “Stateless
Societies In The History of West Africa” by Robin Horton as
“stateless”, that is, it had little concentration of authority and that
it was difficult to point to any individual or group as its rulers – the
first
Tor Tiv,
Makare Dzakpe, a former Sergeant-Major in the Royal West African
Frontier Force (RWAFF) and Chief of Native Authority (NA) Police, was
chosen in 1946, marking the origin of a paramount chief among the Tiv
people. Horton went further to explain: “these societies were scattered
about in the interstices of the great states in a manner which does not
correspond at all with geographical, vegetation or even linguistic
zones.”
There are many such
example of Stateless societies around the great quadrilateral whose
corners are formed by the Jos Plateau.
The Forcados Estuary, the Cameroon Mountains, and the Mambila
plateau. It was estimated
that besides the Jukun and the Igala, there were probably 20 million people
living here in essentially stateless conditions such as the Ijaw,
Tiv, Idoma, Birom, Angass, the Yako, Mbembe, Ekot, Ibibio and so on.
The relationship between the agrarian Tiv and the politically
dormant Jukun, was cordial.
There were no communal clashes, disputes or fear of any political
domination. This was
because the Tiv lacked a central political authority and the two groups
had no cause to fight over land as the Tiv were working as rural farmers
while the Jukun took up urban occupations. The Tiv therefore, paid more
attention to the demands of efficient agriculture than those of defence
so they lived in evenly scattered homes, occupying 60% of rural land in
Taraba rather than compact villages.
The Jukun are said to have constantly claimed ownership of the
lands is indigenes of Kwararafa kingdom, hence the Jukun have always
considered the Tiv in Taraba as tenants.
By the middle of the 20th century, when the population
census of ethnic groups in Wukari was conducted, it was noted that the
Tiv officially outnumbered the Jukun as shown in the table below -
Hence, the Tiv are the single largest ethnic group in Wukari, Taraba
State:
|
Tiv
|
Kuteb |
Jukun |
Ichen |
Hausa |
Chamba |
Others |
|
40,400
|
20,284 |
10,867 |
6,775 |
5,287 |
4,500 |
20,229 |
Source: National Archives Kaduna
(NAK/MAK/Prof/4377)
ADMINISTRATION
While the Tiv in Benue and parts of Nassarawa had no problem with
their neighbours, the colonialists through their indirect rule system of
administration upturned the cordial relationship between the Jukun and
the Tiv. In 1926, the Tiv Wukari and Muri were brought under the
authority of the
Aku Uka
(the Jukun paramount ruler) by the British. This however, further integrated
the Tiv and Jukun with a beneficial implication to Aku Uka on payment of
Tax and territorial prestige.
But in 1933, the British, who brought together the Tiv people,
including those of Katsina-Ala, created on Tiv Division, but those in
Wukari were still seen as settlers and nothing was done about their
administration. J.M
Freemantle wrote that based on anthropological studies, the population
growth of the Tiv people in Wukari was to be discouraged if the Jukun
culture was to be retained.
This was the policy as the Tiv could not be contained by ethnic and
territorial reasons and boundaries where there were stretches of fertile
and uncultivated lands all around them”.
The colonial regime also created the Wukari Federation Local
Council which comprised people from Wukari-Kuteb, Dongo and other ethnic
groups – Kuteb-chamba and Jukun.
The chairman was the Aku Aka; but the Tiv were not represented
because they were considered immigrants despite they population and
contributions in Wukari. In
spite of Tiv protestations, the colonial government represented by
Richard Palmer, the lieutenant governor, agreed with the view held by
the Jukun that the Tiv were immigrants in Wukari and had no grounds to
feel that they qualified for representation (NAJK/SNP/17/K2221
VOL.1).
The Tiv agitation for inclusion eventually materialized 10 years
later (1943) when they were represented in the Wukari General Purpose
Council (WGPC) of the Federation Native Authority; but at independence
in 1960, when the British left, the Tiv were displaced from the council
and replaced with the Jukun – this was the beginning of trouble.
PARTY POLITICS AND CRISES
It should also be noted that the introduction of party politics
in Nigeria has a contributory role in the popular Tiv/Jukun conflict. Due to their numerical strength
in Wukari Division, a Tiv, Charles Tamgur Gaza, contested under the
United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC) for the 1956 Federal Elections
against a Jukun, Ibrahim Sangari, of the Northern People’s Congress
(NPC); Gaza defeated Sangari and the already hostile relationship took a
turn for the worse.
Thereafter, there began incessant clashes between the two,
notably the “nandeior” of 1959 (burning down houses), the
“atemtyo” and “kurachacha” 1964. Record exists of other crises in
1900, 1906, 1929, 1939 1990 – 92, and more recent in 2001 exists (The
News, 24 September 2001, 12 November 2001).
When the Benue – Plateau State was created in 1967, both the Tiv
and Jukun were incorporated into it.
When more states were to be created in 1976, by the General
Murtala Mohammed regime, the Tiv wanted Lafia, Nassarawa, Tiv, Otukpo
and Wukari Divisions to form Benue State, while the Jukun wanted to be
merged with the former Benue province to form Plateau State so that the
Tiv would no longer dominate their politics and occupy lands they
believe were theirs. The
Tiv in Wukari wanted to be merged with fellow Tivs in Benue but the
Justice Mamman Nasir boundary commission rejected their demands and they
ended up in Gongola state with the Jukun. In 1992, Gongola was split into
Taraba and Adamawa states; Taraba comprises such ethnic groups as
Mumuye, Jukun, Kuteb, Tiv and a host of others. However, during the 1996 state creation exercise, the Tiv
requested for: Katsina-Ala state while the Jukun asked for the creation
of Kwararafa state. None of
these requests was granted; hence, the Tiv and Jukun have remained in
Taraba State. When it comes
to political appointments in Taraba States, the Tiv believe they are
eligible but the Jukun regards Benue state as the traditional sphere of
the Tiv and so consider all appointment of Tiv people to be in Benue
state.
BENUE, TARABA & NASARAWA STATES, TODAY & THE
FUTURE
The situation in the Tiv parts of Nassarawa and Plateau States
has been similar to that of Wukari – the unwarranted fear and hatred for
the Tiv people has spread.
The states where the Tiv are considered to be migrants and in the
minority seem to see the expulsion of Tiv as the only way to avoid
political and numerical domination in the areas. To enforce this, the Tiv people
in Taraba, Nassarawa and parts of Plateau State have been massacred in
thousands. All Tiv villages
in Taraba State and along the border with Benue State have been sacked!
The 10-point resolution adopted by the Federal, Taraba and Benue
State governments on 13th February 1992 has not been fully
implemented – the crises have deepened instead: in September 2001, the
Tiv people in Taraba were totally overrun by the Jukun supported by the
Fulanis; about 20 Nigerian Army soldiers mistaken for Jukun fighters in
uniform lost their lives; the Nigerian Army in a revenge mission
massacred the Tivs in a large swoop that made Hon. Gabriel Torwua Suswam
of the National House of Assembly to cry out in fear of a planned
annihilation of the Tiv people (The Punch, 24 Oct. 2001, p.37),
etc. Many of the skirmishes
have not been reported. The
refugee camps located in parts of Benue state continue to see an influx
of displaced persons on the increase; many of those who escaped death
are still dying in the camps due to hunger, exposure and diseases. Is there a solution in sight? Could these be ever return to
their ancestral homes and live without any fear of molestation or
extinction?
Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, an illustrious Jukun and Chief of
Defence in Nigeria, whose name has been mentioned several times by the
Tivs as having a hand in the plan to eliminate them, had said that the
way out ‘… is not for public consumption.’ He however prescribed dialogue
in order to get to the root of the problems and then talk of the way
out!
Governor George Akume, the Benue state governor, recommended the
facilitation of the return of refugees to their ancestral homes and
according them their civic and political rights as well as the full
implementation of the 10-point resolution of February 13 1992 amongst
others as a way to achieve lasting peace. It is worth acknowledging that
joint efforts are being made to ensure that the badly hurt Tiv people
return to their ancestral homes as quickly as possible.
In conclusion, it is of utmost importance that the government
places her priorities right.
No meaningful development can be achieved in the face of anarchy
and chaos. Wanton
destruction of lives and properties has become the order of the day yet
the government seems to turn its eyes the other way. Aside regular armed robbery
attacks, fatal road accidents, ritual killings and assassinations, riots
have become a regular thing where the loss of lives are reported in
their thousands. With the
military attacks on Odi and parts of Benue, it has become evident that
even government has subscribed to the madness of wanton killings and
revenge attacks while ironically preaching economic and moral
development and the survival of nascent democracy.
Further Reading
Tiv Website:
http://www.tiv.4t.com/ Back to top Print This Page
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