A lecturer in the Humanities department, Maitama Sule University, Kano, Prof Umar Muhammad Labdo, has reiterated his claim that Benue is part of Fulani territory.
The don had earlier in January courted controversy when he said Benue was Fulani territory by right of conquest.
In an interview published on Saturday in The Punch, the scholar corroborated his stance on the issue.
Speaking on the Benue State Government’s dismissal of his claim that Benue is part of Fulani Land, Labdo said: The origin of Benue State is Bauchi and Adamawa Emirates; it’s historically Fulbe area ( another name for Fulani) . What I mean is that it is a Fulani domain and not for Tiv . Originally , Tiv people were from Fulani tribe and Jukun ; that is Tiv background .
The origin of the Tiv people is that their father was a Fulani. His name was Mohammed Alla . He migrated from Katsina to that area and got married to a Jukun woman and he fathered the Tiv . That is their origin .
Speaking on whether the Fulani’s right of conquest could be considered greater than the right of original settlers in Tiv land, he said: Don ’t talk about original owners. Now , the right of conquest is recognised worldwide. And many of the people , who live presently in different countries, they are there and are living there by the right of conquest . And this right of conquest is recognised , even by our Supreme Court . One of my followers on Facebook , who is a lawyer , said he could mention 10 cases in which our Supreme Court recognised conquest as one of the basis of getting titles for land . So , don ’t talk about that . Who are the original owners? Original ! When did they come ? We submit that the first father of the Tiv was Mohammed Alla , who migrated from Katsina , that is why today , you have Katsina Alla ! Let them explain , what is the meaning of Katsina Alla ? So , this Fulani man , when he got to that area and fathered Tiv , there were other Fulani people there . That was why he came to join his own brothers . So , if you are talking about any original owners of the Tiv land , it is actually the Fulani. And the Fulani are the fathers of the Tiv and the Jukun are their mothers.