His Excellency,
Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule,
Executive Governor of Nasarawa State,
Government House,
Lafia,
Sir,
Your Excellency Sir, we bring you compliments in the best of traditions
We wish to, first and foremost acknowledge and appreciate the untiring efforts of your administration towards addressing security challenges in all parts of the state, including the lingering conflict between the Bassa and Egbura speaking people of Toto Local Government Area of the State.
We write to bring to the attention of the State Government, the unfortunate situation with the Tiv people of Toto Local Government Area where our people have become victims of circumstance and are being attacked and killed for crime they did not commit.
Your Excellency will recall the recent unfortunate attack on Katakpa Community in Toto LGA where scores of people, were killed.
The Tiv people living within and around the area, particularly those of Angwan Mada, Ananza, Sele-Katakpa, among other areas were sacked and their homes reduced to ashes while property worth millions of naira completely destroyed.
The ugly incident also led to the displacement of over eight hundred (800) persons of Tiv extraction and are currently taking refuge at the Central Primary School, Toto and other areas.
In view of the foregoing, it has become necessary to bring the pitiable situation of our people to the attention of Your Excellency and also appeal passionately to the State Government to kindly come to our rescue by deploying adequate security operatives in the area to restore normalcy as there has been threat of more attacks on members of the Tiv Community in the area.
More worrisome is the fact that the raining season is around the corner and we are afraid farming activities may not take place in the area if urgent and realistic steps are not taking to provide solution to the lingering conflict between the two ethnic nationalities.
It is therefore our humble suggestion that His Excellency convenes a security meeting where leaders of both the Bassa and Egbura ethnic groups would be brought at a round table to possibly resolve their differences amicably.
We also appeal to Excellency to kindly direct the relevant agencies of Government to undertake an assessment of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) with a view to providing them relief assistance to cushion the hardship being faced by them while more efforts are made to resolve the conflict.
Be rest assured that, as peace-loving people, the Tiv Community in Toto Local Government will remain law-abiding despite the attacks on our innocent kinsmen. We look up to Government for the restoration of permanent peace in the area.
Thank you.
1. Mr. Godwin Unande (Chairman Tiv Community – Toto LGA)
2. Chief Solomon Gban (Toto LGA)
3. Zaki Targure Fada – (Tiv leader, Ugya Ward)
