Grave Truths Lifted defined a turning point as Tor Tiv V, James Ayatse, the paramount traditional ruler of the Tiv people in Benue State, publicly rejected the framing of the June 2025 killings as “clashes.” According to Tribune Online, he described the violence as a “full-scale genocidal invasion”, speaking directly to President Bola Tinubu and Nigeria’s security chiefs. His declaration followed the deaths of over 150 villagers in Yelewata, a community burned to ash with homes, farms, and people inside.
- Tor Tiv declared the attacks a deliberate ethnic cleansing, not communal clashes.
- Over 150 people were reportedly killed in Yelewata, Benue, in June 2025.
- Survivors described families burned alive, homes and crops reduced to ash.
- President Tinubu has since deployed military and police commanders to the area.
Grave Truths Lifted reminds us that truth is heavier when buried and more powerful when raised. For years, these deaths were called “clashes.” But graves don’t lie. When traditional leaders speak what the state avoids, they’re not just defending their people, they’re lifting truths that can no longer be silenced.
When grave truths are lifted, what does that reveal about the truths we've all been asked to bury?
