MAKURDI—The President-General of Mdzough U Tiv and tribal leader of the Tiv-speaking people of Benue State, Chief Edward Ujege, has dismissed claims by herdsmen that a Tiv militia group, yesterday, attacked and killed 73 of their cattle in Kadarko, Nasarawa State.
According to Chief Ujege, the claim is baseless and “no doubt a mockery of one of the saddest periods in the lives of the Tiv people, Benue and, indeed, the entire Nigeria when 73 people, including children, pregnant women and old men, murdered by herdsmen on New Year’s day, were given mass burial in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
“The Mdzough U Tiv wishes to describe reports of the alleged Nasarawa attacks and display of cattle in the palace of an emir as reprehensible, condemnable and unacceptable to all right-thinking members of the human race.
“This poor parody, which is part of a larger conspiracy script to downplay the heinous crime committed against Benue State by the herdsmen and their spon-sors must be rejected by all.
“We consider it the height of insensitivity, brutality and impunity that a group of people will reduce the precious lives of human beings to the same level and status with cattle.”
