The former Benue-Plateau State was created in the year 1967 by the then Gowon administration from the then larger Northern Region. The State which had a population of 4,009,408 (according to the 1963 population figures) was made up of two Provinces: Benue province with a population of 2,641,960; and Plateau province with a population of 1,367,448. The State had nine (9) divisions namely:(1). Tiv Division with a population of 1,244,185; (2). Idoma Division with a population of 497,953; (3). Jos Division with a population of 457,759; (4). Pankshin Division with a population of 372,637; (5). Shendam (Lowland) Division with a population of 359,193; (6). Nasarawa Division with a population of 324,517. (7). Lafia Division with a population of 289,659. (8). Wukari Division with a population of 285,646; and (9). Akwanga (Southern) Division with a population of 177,859.
Five of these Divisions were in Benue Province. They included Tiv, Idoma, Nasarawa, Lafia and Wukari; while Jos, Pankshin, Shendam and Akwanga were in Plateau Province.
When however, the Siamese twins Benue-Plateau State was to be separated into two distinct states of Benue and Plateau nine years later in 1976, agitations from certain Divisions led to adjustments and reallignments. Stakeholders in Nasarawa and Lafia Divisions with a collective population of 614,176 opted out of Benue Province, preferring to be merged with Plateau Province so as to form a new Plateau State; while those in Wukari Division with a population of 285,646 opted out of Benue Province and preferred to join Adamawa Province so as to form a new Gongola State.
In this way, Plateau Province swelled up by two additional Divisions of Nasarawa and Lafia to become a State with six Divisions and the population of 1,981,624; whereas, Benue Province shrank to two Divisions of Tiv and Idoma, with a population of 1,742,138. This led to the pulling over of Ankpa Division in the then Kabba Province to join what remained of Benue Province so as form a new Benue State.
Twenty years later, another round of state creations (in 1996) saw Nasarawa emerging as a state, with the former Akwanga Division being drafted to join the former Nasarawa and Lafia Divisions to form the new State; while Benue State remained untouched as the former Ankpa Division was excised from the state and reunited with the former Kaba Province to form Kogi State only five years earlier (in1991).
These adjustments and realignments of territorial boundaries affected the people and lands in the area in discuss. It led to a precarious situation where some people became permanently separated from the majority of their kinsmen. The removal of Nasarawa and Lafia Divisions from Benue Province for instance, separated the Agatu of Loko, Agbashi etc as well as the Tiv, found all over Nasarawa south, from majority of their kinsmen in the former Idoma and Tiv Divisions of Benue State. Similarly, the Tiv people of former Wukari Division were also separated from their brothers in Benue in a like manner.
The creation of Nasarawa State in 1996 in the same manner, left some people in Wamba LGA permanently separated from their tribal men in Plateau State.
This is exactly what happens when boundaries are adjusted or realigned. People who hitherto belonged to certain geo-political areas end up in new geo-political ones by virtue of boundary realignments. Boundary adjustments do not mean people have to relocate. People found to be living in territories away from those inhabited by majority of their kinsmen may only have been so separated by mere demarcations of boundaries. –Edward Akure writes from Akwanga.
Nasarawa Reporters 