The Tiv Youths Organisation (TYO), Worldwide, has issued a 90-day ultimatum to political aspirants across party lines and to governments at the local, state and federal levels to halt the ongoing killings by herdsmen across the state.
The Acting President General of the organisation, Comrade Patrick Terfa Angbagh, gave the warning against the backdrop of persistent attacks, loss of innocent lives and the displacement of Tiv communities, describing the situation as a failure of leadership and governance.
According to him, the blood of Benue people must no longer be treated as a political statistic.
“The Tiv people and Benue citizens have endured enough pain, mass burials and empty condolences. If within the next 90 days these killings do not stop, then no aspirant, regardless of party affiliation, should expect to campaign or seek votes in Benue State come 2027,” Angbagh said.
The Tiv Youths Organisation warned that political ambition without responsibility to human life was unacceptable, adding that youths across the state were prepared to mobilise peacefully to resist any attempt to normalise insecurity for electoral advantage.
Angbagh stressed that security was not a campaign slogan but a constitutional duty, calling on the Federal Government to strengthen intelligence gathering, security deployment and accountability of security agencies.
He also urged the Benue State Government to move beyond rhetoric to concrete action, while tasking local government authorities to take responsibility for community protection and early warning systems.
He noted that silence, indifference or political exploitation of the crisis would no longer be tolerated, warning that Benue must not be reduced to a killing field ahead of future elections.
“Any aspirant who cannot defend the lives of the people has no moral right to ask for their votes,” he said.
The Tiv Youths Organisation reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful advocacy, justice and the protection of Tiv ancestral lands, and called on traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil society groups to join in demanding urgent action to end the killings.
“Enough is enough. Benue lives matter,” the organisation declared.
Benue killings: Tiv youths issue 90-day ultimatum to politicians, government
Benue killings: Tiv youths issue 90-day ultimatum to politicians, government
