Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang of Plateau State, aged 60, a seasoned lawyer and banker who once chaired the Mangu Local Government Area, recently appeared on television visibly distressed over the ongoing herdsmen incursions ravaging his state. His emotional display underscored the gravity of the situation.
Similarly, Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia of Benue State, 59, hailing from Mbangur in Vandeikya Local Government Area, also voiced deep concern. A Nigerian Catholic priest turned politician and alumnus of St. Augustine’s Major Seminary in Jos, Alia’s worries echo a conflict that predates both governors’ lifetimes.
Back in 2018, I addressed this persistent turmoil, stating: “The conflict between the Tiv and Fulani communities in Benue and Plateau has endured for generations. The unresolved tensions inherited from our forebears have only intensified over time. It is imperative that the current generation breaks this cycle to prevent burdening future ones with inherited strife. Countless innocent lives have been lost, families displaced, and homes destroyed. The future remains uncertain for many caught in this crisis. It is a conflict that must come to an end.”
My connection to this issue dates back to 1977 when I became acquainted with two pivotal figures in the struggle: Chief Solomon Daushep Lar (1933-2013) and Chief Joseph Sarwuan Tarka (1932-1980). I met them while covering the Constituent Assembly that year.
Chief Solomon Lar’s political journey began in January 1959 as a councilor for Langtang Native Authority. Later that year, on December 12, he secured a seat in the Federal Parliament under the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC) banner. He was re-elected in 1964 and served as parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa until the 1966 coup led by General Yakubu Gowon. Lar also held the position of Junior Minister in the Federal Ministry of Establishments.
Beyond politics, Lar chaired the board of African Continental Bank and contributed to the Nigeria Council of Legal Education. He was a member of the 1977-1978 Constituent Assembly and participated in the panel led by Justice Ayo Irikefe, which recommended expanding Nigeria’s states from 12 to 19 during General Murtala Mohammed’s regime.
In 1977, I often referred to him as “Chairman” due to his leadership at African Continental Bank, a once-prominent institution in the South East, akin to the National Bank’s role in the South West. His residence on Obafemi Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, was a frequent meeting spot during the early days of the Nigeria People’s Party (NPP), which he helped nurture through Club 19 sponsorship.
When I inquired why he refrained from joining the Makama Bida/Shehu Shagari faction that formed the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), he explained it would have been a betrayal, recounting the tragic circumstances surrounding his father’s death.
During Nigeria’s transition to the Fourth Republic, Lar became the inaugural National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998, a role he held until 2002 before passing the baton to Chief Barnabas Gemade. In 2004, he stepped down as chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, succeeded by Chief Tony Anenih. Throughout, Lar remained a steadfast advocate for the Middle Belt region.
In a 1979 conversation in Jos, Governor Lar remarked that resolving the Middle Belt conflict would effectively resolve Nigeria’s broader crisis. He emphasized that only those from the Middle Belt could truly grasp the hardships endured under Fulani dominance.
Recently, I attended the funeral of Elizabeth Agbo Adede (1956-2025) in Obudu, Cross River State, the younger sister of my friend Senator Musa Adede. The event was attended by notable figures including Colonel Lawan Gwadabe (rtd.), Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, Major Bashir Galma (rtd.), Bishop Jato, Alhaji Jani Ibrahim, and John Owan. From Obudu, I traveled through Makurdi en route to Abuja to catch a flight back to Lagos. Arriving in Makurdi stirred memories of my first visit in 1977, facilitated by Chief Joseph Sarwuan Tarka.
March 30 marked the 45th anniversary of Chief Tarka’s passing. His lifelong battle against the Fulani’s expansionist ambitions remains unresolved. Unlike today’s herdsmen conflicts, his struggle was against the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) policies under Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and then Premier of Northern Nigeria.
Chief Tarka, a teacher by profession like his father Tarka Nanchi, was born to Sera Ikpu Anyam Tarka, a nurse who lived until 2005. At a young age, he participated in the 1958 London Constitutional Conference alongside other minority party leaders such as H. Biriye, Dr. Okoi Arikpo, Patrick Dokotri, Dr. Udo Udoma, Mallam Aminu Kano, and Dr. S.E. Imoke, among others.
In the 1958 elections, Tarka won a seat in the House of Representatives for Jemgbar Constituency with 34,243 votes, decisively defeating NPC’s J.I. Ukume and NCNC’s S.C. Sarma. He then co-founded the United Middle Belt Congress with figures like Patrick Dokotri and David Obadiah Vreng Lot, forging alliances with Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Action Group and the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), led by Mallam Aminu Kano and others.
Tarka’s mission was to liberate the Tiv people from NPC control, a struggle that culminated in the Middle Belt’s emergence as a distinct entity. This resistance sparked the Tiv Riots between 1960 and 1964, during which the Nigerian Army, including officers like Major Adewale Ademoyega and Lt. Col. Yakubu Pam, intervened to restore order. The conflict was exacerbated by the administration of Alhaji Aliyu Muhammed, appointed by Sir Ahmadu Bello as Tiv land’s overseer.
Written by Teniola, former director at the Presidency, Lagos.