Nigerian Leader Praises Efforts Towards Reconciliation by Victims

November 14, 2002

Church and political leaders at a memorial service held November 7 to mark the anniversary of the massacre of hundreds of Tiv civilians by soldiers in the central state of Benue praised efforts towards reconciliation and called for an end to ethnic conflicts in Nigeria.

The slaughter of members of the Tiv community came at the hands of government peace-keeping troops and took place in the midst of the ethnic violence that has rocked the region since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.

The interdenominational memorial service in the town of Gboko organized by leaders of the Tiv community was, however, marked by pleas for reconciliation. Nathaniel Inyom, the Anglican bishop of the Makurdi diocese, said that more than 500 people in his diocese had been killed in religious and ethnic conflicts.

Inyom said hopes that had risen with the arrival of democracy in 1999 had been dashed by religious and ethnic violence. But he applauded the decision of Tiv religious and community leaders to seek reconciliation with other ethnic groups. "Forgiveness is an act of God. It comes from within," the bishop said.

The Anglican bishop also appealed to the Nigerian government to act immediately to enact a law addressing the country's conflicts, saying that "there is no laid down policy or procedure for handling conflicts in Nigeria."

In October last year federal troops were sent to quell ethnic bloodshed in the central Nigerian states of Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa and Plateau which had already left dozens of people dead and thousands homeless. The conflict came to a head after 19 soldiers were slain by militiamen believed to be from the Tiv community. In an apparent act of revenge, soldiers attacked the Tiv settlement of Zaki-Biam, killing hundreds of people and destroying property worth millions of dollars.

About 2.7 million people claim Tiv ethnicity in Nigeria, a country with a population of 89 million, of whom about 50 per cent are Muslims and 40 per cent Christians.

Episcopal News Service