The Aku-Uka of Wukari in Taraba State, Dr Ishaku Adda Ali, has raised concerns over worsening insecurity affecting communities linked to the historic Kwararafa Confederacy.
The monarch spoke at the 2026 Kwararafa People’s Assembly in Abuja, where he called for urgent and sustained intervention across affected communities.
He said parts of Benue, Kogi, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau and Niger states had experienced banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder clashes and repeated displacement.
According to him, the violence has forced residents from their homes, restricted access to farms and made it difficult for traders to reach markets.
‘We Need Help’
Ali said children had been prevented from attending school, while some elders had lost their ancestral homes.
He appealed for practical government intervention that would reach affected communities rather than remain limited to official statements and conferences.
“We do not come here to accuse, but to say, we need help,” the monarch said, stressing that assistance must be real, sustained and targeted at communities facing insecurity.
Monarch Calls for Kwararafa Unity
The Aku-Uka also expressed concern over divisions among communities historically associated with the Kwararafa Confederacy.
He questioned why groups that once formed a common political structure had become divided along political, religious and ethnic lines.
The monarch said the assembly was designed to bring together people connected to the Kwararafa heritage and encourage collective action.
Kefas Clarifies Role at Assembly
Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas, who attended the event as a core convener, said his participation was not an official responsibility of the state government.
He explained that the gathering was neither a Taraba State Government programme nor an avenue for advancing a personal, political or sectional agenda.
Kefas said the assembly provided an opportunity for people connected to the Kwararafa heritage to renew their shared vision and discuss ways to contribute to Nigeria’s development.
Traditional Ruler Urges Heritage Preservation
The Ohimegye of Opanda-Umaisha Kingdom, Alhaji Usman Abdullahi, said the Ebira people of Nasarawa State were among the descendants of the Kwararafa Empire.
He urged the various ethnic groups connected to the heritage to continue identifying with their shared history regardless of where they lived.
Abdullahi commended the Aku-Uka for organising the gathering and expressed hope that its deliberations would produce a communiqué and lead to further engagements.
