Tiv Political Crisis of 1964

The most severe episode of Tiv unrest in the First Republic: in 1964, Tiv opposition to the NPC-dominated Northern Region government, expressed through support for the United Middle Belt Congress, escalated into serious violence suppressed by Native Authority Police forces.

Tensions that first erupted in the 1960 riots (see the separate 'Nigerian Independence and Tiv Political Participation' event for that background) escalated sharply in 1964. Tiv opposition to the Northern People's Congress (NPC)-dominated regional government — expressed through support for the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC) — triggered forceful suppression by Native Authority Police forces loyal to the NPC-controlled regional government. Academic analysis (Vaaseh & Ehinmore, 2011) identifies the misuse of these Native Administrative Police Forces as central to the scale of violence and casualties in 1964 specifically, the more severe of the two episodes.

Tiv political support for the UMBC against the ruling NPC in a Northern Region government perceived by Tiv and other Middle Belt minorities as dominated by Hausa-Fulani elites; resistance to NPC-aligned Native Authority tribute demands.

Significant loss of life during suppression by regional government security forces; hardened Tiv/Middle Belt demands for regional autonomy, contributing to the eventual creation of Benue-Plateau State in 1967.