Idoma youths protest exclusion as US Congress delegation visits only Tiv communities in Benue

Several youths from Idomaland in Benue State have expressed anger and disappointment over the failure of a visiting United States Congressional delegation to include any Idoma community in its itinerary during a recent fact-finding mission to the state.

The delegation, which met internally displaced persons (IDPs), religious leaders and traditional authorities in Tiv-dominated areas earlier in the week, did not extend its visit to Benue South (Idoma), a development that has drawn widespread criticism across Idoma social media spaces.

The delegation was in Nigeria in the aftermath of recent designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by US President Donald Trump over killings of Christians in Nigeria by armed groups.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the federal government nor the US congressional delegation has issued an official statement addressing concerns over the omission of Idomaland from the Benue itinerary.

Youths express outrage

In a video posted on Wednesday, Idoma youth activist Meddy Imanoel said the exclusion reflected both external neglect and silence among Idoma political leaders.

“Please, let’s leave the issue of the US Congress delegation from visiting Idomaland. The issue is that people who are supposed to go there and speak so that our voices can be heard did not speak; that was why the delegation did not visit but ended their fact-finding mission in Tivland,” he said.

“With everything that is happening in Idomaland, how many of our leaders speak about them? When the delegation came, they only stopped in Makurdi. Idoma leaders should stop lamenting ‘Governor did not do this’ or that. Look at how the Tor Tiv and their Bishops have been lamenting over the killings, but which of our leaders from Idomaland are lamenting?”

Mr Imanoel added that Idoma communities continue to suffer recurring attacks yet have no officially recognised IDP camps.

“With everything happening in Benue, they don’t count Idoma people inside despite the killings. There is no single IDP camp in Idomaland. People would reach out to me that they have gifts for IDPs, but we have no IDP camp anywhere,” he said.

He further criticised elected Idoma politicians for failing to speak publicly about the crisis.

“People who are representing us in government and positions of authority — are they talking? They are afraid to speak, believing that when they speak, they will be removed from their positions, but the Tiv people who are speaking are not afraid to lose their positions. That is why our leaders’ mouths are closed as if they used superglue to close their mouths,” he said.

Another youth, John Ohene, said the exclusion was due to the conduct of the state government, not the US delegation.

“It’s not the US delegation that shuns Idoma, it’s the anti-Idoma Rev. Fr. governor that shuns Idoma. If the state government had invited Och’Idoma, he would have attended,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

Mr Ohene said his recent personal trip across Benue revealed uneven development.

Tiv Media Group urges unity

In a statement posted on its Facebook page on Wednesday, ZEVA TV, a media organisation representing Tiv interests, acknowledged the frustration among Idoma communities but urged all ethnic groups in the state to avoid divisive rhetoric.

“As a media house representing ZEVA TV… I understand the pain, the disappointment, and the deep emotional wound caused by the recent exclusion of Idoma communities,” it said.

The organisation cited global peace icons to appeal for calm, arguing that the Benue crisis should not be viewed through an ethnic lens.

“Our respected religious leaders, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, Bishop Isaac Dugu from Makurdi and Katsina Ala respectively, and… the Tor Tiv, have positioned themselves as voices of the oppressed, not of a tribe. Their presence is for ALL of us, Tiv and Idoma alike,” it added.

The US delegation’s earlier meetings in Abuja

Before travelling to Benue, the US congressional team held a meeting with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, in Abuja.

Mr Ribadu said the delegation, comprising Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart, Norma Torres, Scott Franklin, Juan Ciscomani and Riley Moore, arrived “on a fact-finding mission to Nigeria.” U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Richard Mills also attended the meeting.

Discussions focused on counter-terrorism cooperation, regional stability and concerns over alleged religious persecution.

Visit to Benue IDP camps

During its field mission, one of the visiting lawmakers, Riley Moore, met with survivors in several IDP camps in Benue and described their testimonies as deeply distressing.

Writing on X, he said the stories he heard would “remain with me for the rest of my life.”

He also met Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi, Bishop Isaac Dugu of Katsina-Ala, and Tiv traditional ruler James Ioruza, saying the United States “will not ignore what we heard from local communities.”

Background

The anger over the recent exclusion comes amid worsening insecurity in several Idoma communities, especially in Ogbadibo, Agatu, Apa, Ohimini and Otukpo.

In May, the paramount ruler of the Idoma Nation, Elaigwu Odogbo, convened an emergency meeting with the Idoma Area Traditional Council and local government chairmen at the Och’Idoma Palace in Otukpo.

The meeting resulted in a communiqué ordering all armed herdsmen to vacate Idomaland immediately.

The council condemned the “heinous acts,” mourned lives lost and urged the Benue State Government to restore security and ensure farmers can return to their fields without fear.

“All armed herdsmen are to be persuaded and directed to leave Idoma land immediately to prevent further conflicts and senseless killings of Idoma sons and daughters,” the council declared.

‘Idoma not excluded from killings’

Benue has, for years, battled recurrent clashes between pastoralists and farming communities. Since 2017, the scale of violence has escalated sharply.

The traditional ruler of Idoma land later reported that at least 75 people have been killed in recent attacks in Benue South alone.

The Chairman of the Apa Development Association, Adah Ocholi, said nearly 20 villages in Apa have been wiped out since January 2023.

But the State Secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ibrahim Galma, insisted the armed attackers are unknown to the association.

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“We don’t know them. We don’t know their leaders and we don’t know where they come from,” he said.

What the exclusion means

The US delegation’s decision not to visit Idomaland, combined with longstanding violence and a formal directive for herdsmen to vacate, has deepened a sense of marginalisation among Idoma youths.

The youths say the omission underscores the need for equal attention to all victims of violence in Benue and renewed pressure on state and federal authorities to take decisive action.

Many residents in Idomaland say they hope the growing public outcry will draw national and international attention to their plight.