Yesterday March 29th, it was a palm Sunday. But forty six years ago, palm Sunday was on March 30. That was the year 1980. So, on palm Sunday, March 30, 1980, Senator JS Tarka who was representing Benue East Central died in a London Hospital at 3:30 p.m.
By December 1979, the doctors had told him that they had exhausted their skills in treating him.
In his last days, JS Tarka who was born 10th July, 1932, wrote a series of letters to his friends, political associates and colleagues. One was dated 24th March 1980 and addressed;
“hen mbavesen av,
M. Ugor Iwoor,
Luga Iyortyom,
E. Mgbami Takema,
Dzeremo Avaan.”
A part in the letter reads;
“tema nen ayol ene sol nen ankaam mba kpue kpue ne sha er anzuul aa kera lu ga yo. Wase nen Gomna Aku tom usoron Benue State…”
The letter concludes;
“Man kaa nen Mr. OrnguDwem yo aza ngohol tom u Gomna ane un la man Mrs. Agundu kpa aza ngohol una la.”
JS Tarka also wrote to the state secretary of the NPN, Mr. T.A.R. Degarr and the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Before he died, he designed his coffin, chose the dress he would wear to the grave. It was his wish that he should be clad in the very national dress he wore on October 1, the day new civilian administration was installed. In a further explanation, Senator George Hommkwap said the national dress Senator Tarka demanded was flown to him in London.
When he finished his preparation Tarka pleaded with his doctors to allow him return home for death. He had already booked his homeward flight before this appeal but the ticket was never used. It was Tarka’s intention to bid farewell to his colleague senators for two days and then head for his home town Gboko to give up the ghost. His doctors didn’t allow him leave for Nigeria so he died in London.
On Monday, 31 March, 1980, President Shehu Shagari called Governor Aper Aku to inform him of the death of Senator JS Tarka. It was the same day the governor was to present the budget of Benue State. It was after the budget presentation that the Governor privately informed the speaker of the House.
In Makurdi and Gboko the news of Senator Tarka’s death was told to people in a circumlocutional way and not directly. No body came to you and told you straight away that senator Tarka was dead, no; rather the bearer of the sad news would first make sure that he prepared you against shock by first asking you whether you have heard of the unbelievable news. If your answer was no, then he would assure you that he too did not believe but it was being rumoured that Mr. Tarka was dead. It was simply contemptuous to break the news of the senator’s death directly.
On Tuesday 1st April 1980, the Benue State government declared a public holiday in the state as a mark of respect for the departed senator. In Makurdi, the state capital, hundreds of people were seen wearing the traditional leaves on their heads while motorist and cyclists attached leaves to their machines.
Most of the private shops were closed while business in the main market came to a standstill.
There was a ferocious rush for black dresses. Black ready-made dress,for both women and men, were out of stock within two days after the news of the senator’s death. Every piece of cloth that looked black was rushed for and people had to travel outside Makurdi for their funeral dresses.
On the 8th April, 1980, President Shehu Shagari received the corpse of Senator JS Tarka at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. The body was accompanied by his eldest son, Simeon Tarka and siblings including members of the National Assembly.
The casket was wrapped in Nigeria’s national colours and was carried by the late senator’s colleagues, among them were Senators Uba Ahmad, Femi Ayantuga, Mahmud Waziri, Hamisu Musa, and George Hommkwap.
On Wednesday 9th April, 1980, by 5:55 p.m., the Nigeria Air Force plane which conveyed the remains of the late Senator from Lagos touched down at the Makurdi Airport accompanied by the vice president, Dr Alex Ekwueme, the Senate president, Dr Joseph Wayas and other top federal government officials were received by Governor Aper Aku.
From the airport, the body was taken to the State House of Assembly amidst thousand of mourners who lined up to catch a glimpse.
On Thursday, 10th April, the corpse was taken from the Benue State House of Assembly where it was left to lie in state in a procession to Wannune Mbakor for a brief stopover before the corpse was taken to Gboko.
At Gboko, late Senator JS Tarka’s corpse was received by the Tor Tiv, Orcivirigh James Akperan Orshi and members of the Tiv Traditional Council at the Council Chambers. Later in the day, the corpse left the Chambers for the late Senator’s house in Gboko.
The body of the late Senator Tarka was laid to its final rest on Saturday April 12th 1980, thus bringing to an end the five day funeral ceremony made by both the Federal and Benue State governments in respect of the late Senator with an estimated thirty-five thousand people in attendance.
The final funeral rites were performed at the grave yard by the Catholic Bishop of Makurdi, the Rt. Rev. Dr. D. Murray and was assisted by the Rt. Rev. Dr. G. G. Ganaka, the Catholic Bishop of Jos.
Sources:
Senator Tarka is Dead by Tyu Abeghe
Legacies of J. S. Tarka by Simon Shango
J. S. Tarka: The Dilemma of Ethnic Minority Politics in Nigeria by Godwin Nyor Hembe
Terver Adom
30 March, 2026
Photo: JS Tarka – UMBC Member of House of Representatives in 1957 obtained from “Legacies of J. S. Tarka” by Simon Shango, p. 81.
