A critical study of Tor-Tiv V’s address to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on farmers-herders conflict in Benue State

Farmers-herders conflict has been a recurring security challenge ravaging lives in Benue State, hence the need to investigate the role of discourse in shaping public perception and opinion on the crisis. Critical discourse analysis is a multidisciplinary approach to the study of language that explores the intersection between language use and social activities. This study conducts a critical discourse analysis of the address delivered by the Tor Tiv to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on farmers-herders crisis in Benue State. Fairclough’s three-dimensional framework was adopted. The study employed qualitative method and descriptive research design. Purposive sampling technique was used to select Tor-Tiv’s address to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his condolence visit to Benue state over Yelewata massacre in June, 2025. The data were analysed using descriptive qualitative content and discourse analysis. The results reveal ideologies such as misinformation, conquest and annexation, divisive politics, and nationalism. The findings further reveal power imbalance between traditional, state and federal governments, as well as Benue people and perpetrators. The study concludes that reliance on federal security intervention and divisive politics constitute the major threats to security in Benue State and recommends that devolution of power and political alliance would enhance security in the State.