Tiv farmers protest, accuse Nasarawa of land grabbing

Nine communities housing Tiv farmers in the Obi and Awe Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State have rejected a proposed agricultural programme on a 10,000 hectares of land in the area by the state government.

The Nasarawa State Government had mapped out the land located in Agwatashi and Jangwa areas in both LGs to plant rice, sesame and corn to boost food security in the state.

Speaking with journalists after a peaceful protest in Udugh, Obi LG on Wednesday, spokesperson for the communities, Felix Upav, explained that they were confused as to how the land was acquired by the state government to commence the agriculture programme in the area.

While narrating that the said 10,000 hectares of land comprised 6,000 hectares under Obi LG while 4,000 hectares is under Awe LG, Upav mentioned the affected communities to include Angwan Anthony, Akala, Utsuwa, Udugh, Usula, Ayarkeke, Shamkodu, China and Ikyochiha.

He explained that residents of the nine communities were mainly peasant farmers who relied solely on their farms, lamenting that if their farmlands were taken away from them, they may not be able to survive the harsh economic realities of the country.

He said, “We are interested in knowing how the state government acquired the 10,000 hectares of land because no one came to us (Tiv farmers) for any negotiation to acquire it or talked about compensation with any of the communities.

“We are peace-loving people and law-abiding citizens of the country. We would like to know how the land was acquired for the agricultural programme.

“We heard that it was the traditional ruler of Agwatashi and the village head of Jangwa areas that told Governor Abdullahi Sule that there is a virgin land in the area that is up to 10,000 hectares.

“While we appreciate the governor for bringing the agricultural programme to our area, we are appealing that it should be done somewhere else because the lands are only what our people (Tiv farmers) use to survive and settle their daily needs.”

He added that, “Our people had planted rice and other crops on the land which have started growing. But to our greatest surprise, some people from the State Ministry of Agriculture went there yesterday and today with tractors and started turning over our people’s farms. We are appealing that the governor should consider us and look into the matter.”

The spokesperson for the nine Tiv communities further explained that the issue had begun to degenerate into a communal crisis among residents of both LGs, adding that no fewer than five persons had been injured in the area within the last 24 hours.

He, therefore urged the Nasarawa State Government to stop work on the 10,000 hectares of land to understand how the land was acquired and also to settle all disagreements among the indigent farmers in the area.

Meanwhile, the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has said the 10,000 hectares of land belongs to the state government and warned against any form of encroachment on the land.

The governor made the disclosure while distributing 1,000 bags of fertilizer to the 10 electoral wards of Obi LG.

The bags of fertilizer were donated to the state by the Federal Government.

According to him, the essence of acquiring the land was to support the Federal Government to actualise its motive to ensure food security in the state and Nigeria at large.

He appealed to the residents of the area to support the initiative of the government while assuring them that they would be the biggest beneficiaries of the agricultural programme.

He said, “The Nasarawa State government is also contributing to this project that Mr. President (Bola Tinubu) has started on food security. We have taken 10,000 hectares of land starting from Jangwa all the way to Agwatashi to make sure that we farm rice, sesame and corn in this area, and by the grace of God, you all are going to be the biggest beneficiaries because you are going to be the farmers and the other workers who are going to be there.

“Today, we have already concluded all the planting in the first part of Jangwa. Now, we are beginning to come towards Agwatashi, and I know some of you are in that kind of location and some of you are actually beginning to get concerned, and we are having some skirmishes here and there, some problems with some other people.

“Please, when we actually clear a piece of land that we believe it is ours, we do not want you to again encroach into that land because it will bring problems to us. So what we want you to do is to go to your own land and we will continue to support you in this manner that we have done today.”

He added, “We will end up employing your own children to come and be workers in that our farm. We are not going to import anybody from anywhere to come and do that. It is your own people that will work in those farms and by the time we carry out the harvesting process, it is also your own people that will do the irrigation and harvest.

“Our first harvest is going to be towards the end of this year. And by the time we do the harvest, we will come back again and see how else the people in those areas will also benefit from what we are doing.

“So, I want you all to be the security for that government farm. I am praying that none of you will have any problem whatsoever with the government farm because the government farm is your farm.”