The paramount ruler of Akaleku in Obi Local Government Area, Zhe Augustine Alao, has been accused of ordering the Tiv community in his domain to cede their farmlands to Fulani herdsmen.

The Tiv community in the area, led by their leaders, Mr Vandesalen Shie, and Moses Andrew, said this, yesterday, in a statement they jointly signed, a copy of which was made available in Lafia yesterday.

The community also alleged that the Zhe Akaleku recently connived with the Fulani herdsmen and brought in the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the police, who arrested and detained four members of the community, at the State Criminal and Investigation Department, in Lafia, for resisting the takeover of their farmlands by herdsmen.

The statement gave names of the detained persons to include Andrew Agah, Ordam Vandesalem, Timbee Vandesalem and Motswenga Vadesalem.

“The Tiv community, therefore, wondered why the Zhe Akaleku will order us to cede our farmlands to Fulani herdsmen, even as we have settled in the area over a decade.”

When contacted, the Akaleku paramount ruler dismissed the allegation by the Tiv community that he had ordered the ceding of their farmlands to herdsmen.

“I only waded into a land dispute between the Tiv farmers and Fulani herdsmen in my domain,” he insisted.

•Extracted from a Sun report.