By Peter Achibo
The continuous harassment and brutality by military personnel against the Tiv people of Ikyaior in Wukari Local Government Area (LGA) are unethical, unjustifiable, and must be condemned in the strongest terms.
On the day the Nigerian Military’s Operation Whirl Stroke commissioned a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Wukari, their first action was to invade Ikyaior—a Tiv village less than 12 km away from Wukari—under the pretext of searching for bandits.
During the operation, innocent villagers were harassed and intimidated. Rev. Pastor Kile of the NKST Church in Ikyaior was particularly targeted as soldiers stormed his compound, entering every room and looking for only what God knows. Despite their aggressive search, no incriminating evidence was found against any resident.
This recent raid is disturbingly similar to an earlier operation on August 5, 2024, when the military again descended on the village, brutalising civilians, including a newly posted Reverend Father, who was severely tortured. During that operation, several people were injured, including Mr. Terhemen Cornelius, the Rev. Father’s Personal Assistant, who lost his left eye due to military assault. Although the military later apologised and offered treatment, the damage had already been done.
It is essential to state clearly and without ambiguity that the Tiv people of Wukari, and Ikyaior in particular, are peaceful, law-abiding citizens who do not condone criminality, regardless of the perpetrator’s background. Therefore, the ongoing military intimidation and harassment are unjust, counterproductive, and only deepen the trauma of a community already under siege.
From April this year to date, Ikyaior and its environs have suffered over six deadly attacks by suspected Jukun militias, leading to the death of nine persons and injuries to many others. Yet, the same military, stationed just a few kilometres away in Wukari, has failed to prevent or respond effectively to these attacks. Rather than protecting the vulnerable, they seem more invested in intimidating them.
The military has consistently and unjustifiably blocked displaced Tiv people from returning to their ancestral homes while enabling the safe return and resettlement of Jukun communities. In places such as Tor-Iorshagher, Kasuan Shanu, Chonku, and Kernum, military checkpoints have become instruments of exclusion, where soldiers overtly and persistently prevent Tiv returnees from accessing their lands. These actions reveal a troubling bias that undermines the military’s constitutional duty to protect all citizens equally.
Ikyaior and a few settlements remain the only Tiv settlements still inhabited in Wukari LGA, following the abandonment of over 230 Tiv villages, representing a population of more than 250,000, due to the prolonged Jukun-Tiv conflict. The military’s continued targeting of this last surviving community only adds to the suffering of a people who have already lost so much.
We therefore urge the military to adopt a more professional and intelligence-driven approach in combating crime. Brutal force against unarmed civilians only breeds resentment and mistrust. The Tiv people of Wukari, Ikyaior inclusive, are willing to collaborate with security forces to ensure peace and stability in Wukari and southern Taraba at large, but that cooperation must be built on respect, justice, and professionalism.
The military must rethink its tactics in Wukari and focus on the real threats. Continued harassment of innocent villagers not only undermines their constitutional rights but also erodes public trust in our security institutions. It is time to end the intimidation and embrace genuine, intelligence-led operations that protect rather than persecute. The systematic obstruction of Tiv returnees and the preferential treatment given to other groups must cease immediately if peace is truly the goal.
Peter Achibo, IDPs Leader, Wukari LGA
