A group of Tiv academics from Benue State, operating under the banner of the Forum of Ayatutu Professors, has recommended the implementation of community policing as a practical solution to the persistent insecurity caused by armed herdsmen.
The forum also advocated for an expanded role for the Benue State Bureau of Homeland Security, suggesting it be empowered to directly safeguard farming communities, which are often the targets of attacks.
This position was outlined in a statement signed by Prof. Tor Iorapuu, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Council of Management, and Prof. Simon Irtwange, Secretary, following an emergency meeting in Makurdi, the state capital.
According to the group, the recommendation stems from the government’s ongoing failure to effectively protect the lives and property of Benue residents.
The statement read: “Pursuant to the aims and objectives for its formation, the Forum of Ayatutu Professors met and discussed the ongoing killings in Benue State by the marauding armed herdsmen and their sponsors for purposes of islamization, land grabbing, disruption of the economy, the culture and education of the people, mining of minerals among others.”;
The professors emphasized that despite various government efforts, authorities have fallen short in fulfilling their constitutional duty of ensuring the safety and security of the Tiv people and the broader Benue populace.
“The forum acknowledged that despite the efforts of the various tiers of government, they have failed in their responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the Tiv people and Benue State citizens in general.
“The forum agreed that in the immediate, there is the need for community approach to security, self-help, but it must be within the framework of careful post-conflict management of its complexities,”; it stated.
