From Joseph Uchenna, in Makurdi
A group known as the Tiv Integrated Vision (TIV) has frowned at a statement by Alago Ikweyi Gbayi Development Union AIGDU, alleging that Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, is part of Keana LGA of Nasarawa state, describing the claim as false, misleading and mischievous.
Recall that Yelwata was recently attacked by suspected herdsmen during which over 200 persons were killed.
In a statement signed by its President Gbaden Atsu, the group maintained that
Tiv culture and traditions, corroborated by archaeological findings in the Benue Valley, establish their presence in the region for centuries, potentially dating back 6,000 years.
He insisted that Yelwata remains part and parcel of Benue State, alluding that the Tiv’s presence in the Benue Valley, including Yelwata, Keana, Obi, and Awe, is deeply rooted in historical and archival records, predating the claims of the Alago.
According to the statement, “colonial maps, modern geospatial tools like Google Earth, and administrative processes during previous census and election exercises had been held in the area long before now.
“AIGDU’s assertions that Yelwata is an Alago village in Nasarawa State and that the Tiv are settlers in Yelwata and also without ancestral ties to Keana, Obi, and Awe Local Government Areas (LGAs) are not only historically inaccurate but also inflammatory, risking further ethnic tensions in the Benue-Nasarawa corridor.
Atsu further supported his argument with the 1931 colonial census records, which included Yelwata, without mentioning Alago or Gwandara communities in the same region.
Other records he said include colonial Tax Records, Culture and Traditions corroborated by archaeological findings in the Benue Valley, which suggested the Tiv nation were in the area long before the Alago people.
He also noted that “The condolence visits by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Nasarawa State Governor, and other key functionaries from Nasarawa state to the Benue state Governor (Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia), following the tragic killing of over 200 Tiv in Yelwata further affirms its status as part of Benue.
“Archaeological, Culture and Traditions:
Tiv culture and traditions, corroborated by archaeological findings in the Benue Valley, suggests their presence in the region for centuries, potentially dating back 6,000 years.
“The excavations at sites from Swem and up to the area that is now Nasarawa state reveal artifacts consistent with Tiv material culture, such as pottery and farming tools, predating other groups in the area. These historical facts align with the Tiv’s claim of being the original indigenous and most populous
ethnic group in the region.
“In addition to recognizing a region as Munchi province, a Tiv identity, the early participation of Tiv in the political and administrative framework of the defunct Munchi Province, as documented in colonial records underscores her demographic strength and historical heritage in the region.
“During the colonial era, the region including Yelwata was designated as Munchi Province, a term used by
colonial authorities to refer to the Tiv, though the Tiv rejected it, asserting their identity as Tiv. The naming of the province after the Tiv reflects their demographic and cultural dominance in the area and indigeneity.
“The Tiv’s indigenous status is further evidenced by their established decentralized leadership under the Tor Agbande rulership in the 14th and 15th centuries, later centralized under the Tor Tiv in 1946 following colonial administrative reforms,” he said.
