18/06/2025
Stil on Benue and the manufactured outrage
‐--------‐--------------------------------------------------------------
BENUE: TRUE STORY SURROUNDING HON. DICKSON TARKIGHIR'S COWS```
16th June, 2025 | 7:16 PM
There are videos on social media of cows eating cassava and other crops in some farms own by Benue people.
These cows allegedly belong to the honourable member of the House of Representatives for Makurdi/Guma, Hon. Dickson Tarkighir.
It is gathered from a reliable source that those cows are kept in fenced land in Welfare Quarters, Makurdi.
They go out to graze freely and openly around that area destroying people's farms, while the herders of the cows will make videos and give to those opposing the administration of Governor Alia to post on Facebook.
It is alleged that most of the cows are either rustled from Fulani or bought from cow rustlers.
Report has it that the Fulani were planning to attack Welfare Quarters and take away their cows.
Upon hearing this, the Welfare Quarters community said they don't want problem.
They directed Hon. Dickson to take his cows out of the Quarters, but the latter refused to listen to the people of Welfare Quarters.
After the attack on Yelewata, it is was gathered that the Fulani again threatened to attack Hon. Dickson's place at Welfare Quarters and take away their cows.
On hearing this, Hon. Dickson ordered that the cows be evacuated to another plot of land he built for the same purpose at Nyôr-Gyungu, another location in Makurdi.
Three Fulani guys who have been herding the cows moved the cows yesterday, June 15th 2025 in the night causing fear and apprehension in the people.
They moved the cows to Nyôr-Gyungu.
On reaching there, the youth of Nyôr-Gyungu community held the Fulani guys and insisted to know whose cows there were herding and why they had to be moving with them in the night.
They raised alarm and insisted that Dickson should move his cows out of their community.
Dickson Tarkighir now sent in heavily armed security men who came and forcefully took the Fulani guys away, refusing to heed to the demand of the youth of the community.
The traditional rulers within that community intervened also.
They calmed the youth down, held a meeting with Dickson Tarkighir and State government officials headed by the Advisor to the Governor on internal security, Joe Haa.
They begged Dickson to move the cows out pending when the tension will calm down then, he will follow due process.
The due process they said, Dickson Tarkighir has to inform the community that he wants to keep his cows there, tell them the number of cows he has, and show them the people that will be tending the cows.
This, they said will help them to keep eyes on the cows and watch it's movement to avoid infiltration of externals.
Dickson Tarkighir was viciously angry with the youth insisting that he was not moving the cows.
Government authorities begged him to heed to the advice of the elders to avoid escalation of tension, but he repudiated.
He also refused to address his constituents, the angry youth of Nyôr-Gyungu.
This act may be interpreted as adding up to the general civil unrest going on in Benue State.
It is wrong that in the heat of the carnage where all hands are pointing at Fulani herders, Dickson Tarkighir will direct Fulanis to be moving with his cows in the night causing fear in the people.
It's also wrong to use force to stay among a people.
It has to be through negotiations and diplomacy.
Remember, Governor Alia said some members of the National Assembly are aiding what is going on in Benue State.
Dickson Tarkighir should not have presented himself as a practical prove to what the Governor said.
All that we need is peace! Dickson Tarkighir should follow due process and bring his cows back to where he wants to keep them. He should hire Tiv guys to be tending his cows and now strangers.
Simon Ngôgyo writes from Nyôr-Gyungu, Makurdi
BENUE info-pedia
