ARTICLE: My Views about the Jukun Vs Tiv Crisis that erupted in the southern Taraba and the swift solution  -  By  Gideon Danladi George

Gideon Danladi George is a Social and political activist, A Religion and Anti ethnic Crisis scholar and a researcher.



The Jukum/Tiv crisis is the oldest conflict in ethnicity that Taraba State has ever experienced for the past two to three decades now but its seems there is no solution to it yet.

Many treatise, journals and articles has been put up by different scholars within and outside the state in view of the crisis, stating the causes and raising necessary strategies, internal and external factors that can be use or employed to resolve or bring to an end this misunderstanding that has ate up the minds of jukun and the Tiv peoples resulting in serious conflict between the duo.

Writers have talked much about it, but they all failed to make it clear to us, the difference between Indigence and settlers, and who amongst the two is an indigene and who is a settler.


To me, the major cause of this conflict is because of land. The situation whereby one has certain belief that another person is a settler in his region, he or she must have the mindset that there is limitations to how much the visitor will own a land or a landed property in his region. Its so unfortunate because any conflict that Erupted because of land is said to be intractable - it can't be easily traced or resolved.

A Jukun man did not see Tivs as  indigenes, regarding them as settlers while A Tiv man, with much confidence and a strong spirit of ownership, sees himself as a 'son of the soil' (Indigene) and not a 'Visitor' (settler) in Taraba State.

Though the Tiv people are said to have occupied 90% of the Benue State region, their presence is not actually recognized as indigenes in Taraba state.
To me, the issue of whether a Tiv man is an indigene or a settler in Taraba state should be shied away because the Tiv people have stayed in Taraba State for Decades now and are qualified to become indigenes by Naturalization. According to valuable records and ascertions, the first destination of the Tiv people in Taraba state was Donga local Government when the first invade the area in 1830.

Another factor that has been the  cause of the crisis is the issue of Chieftaincy, In which the Jukuns said the TIVs have no chieftaincy history in Taraba state. The history of the Tiv peoples chieftaincy can dates back to 19 years ago when they all came together to crown their first king in the shitile - Wukari area in the year 2000.

 Also, The problem  of denying some people an effective participation in politics is one of the cause of this crisis.
This factor particularly, has grown to it's peak in the southern Districts of Taraba state serving as a major cause of conflict between different people(Not only Jukuns/Tivs) because some people think they are been marginalized and their rights are been trembled upon.

Although, The state Government is looking for solutions to bring all of it to an end, but we have to play our own roles too by staying off contradictory or biased post on social medias because the social media is now been use as a remunerative factor in promoting this crisis.

I read some articles recently on social media, apparently from both sides(From a Jukun and a Tiv Person in different occasions with each one going against the other rendering courses and talking illy about the other.
And I said to myself, "If Social Media Propagandism can't be tackled, all physical effort to end this crisis is partially in vain becuse the mind has been influenced with fake news". And its obvious because what might be coming from the left will be differrent from what is coming from the right which in turn will cause delimma In the minds of those involve.

As a political Activist, An Anti Religion crisis and ethnic scholar, I believe that Taraba state Government have all it takes to end this crisis without any form of aficionado or  sides taking.


Though, the rulling Governor of the State in the perdon of Archt. Darius Dickson Ishaku is a Jukun man or might be jukun related, but he should play a role of neutrality when addressing or fighting this issue.

Regardless of what the jukun people have in mind or might have said about the Tivs, they should he proven beyond reasonable doubt that the TIV people are sons of the soil and they own a place in taraba state no matter how small it might be.

The Tiv people should be given a chance to stand out in political positions so that their interest can be represented for the benefit of the state and the country at large. And as the slot is open for them, am equally advising them to turn up as well to avoid later story.

Their number is large enough to put a candidate into power, haven settled in almost all the parts of the state since their arrival and am sure they are well recognized . And if am not mistaken, apart from mumuye people,  the Tiv people have also spread  all round the state especially in the southern and the central districts because of their rudimental engagement in farming.


I'm hereby, calling on the Taraba state  government to follow due processess and procedures  to solve this issue rather than relying on individual ideologies and beliefs as stated by Pragmatism but if reverse is the case, those beneficial ideas should be identified and actions taken because 
"Ideology can never be Ideas until Its put to practice"

Why am I saying this?

Am saying this because even after several meetings between Taraba state and the Benue State government held in negotiation on how to bring the crisis to an end, its still on the go. Its obvious individual ideas are been employed which sometimes might be biased(Condemning one and favoring the other), so the best option is to follow it up as it is and better result with will obtained.

Thank You