The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Plateau

  • BREAKING: Pandemonium as angry women burn down Bokkos traditional ruler’s house in Plateau

    BREAKING: Pandemonium as angry women burn down Bokkos traditional ruler’s house in Plateau

    Scores of protesting women have burned down the house of the District Head of Bokkos town in Bokkos local government area of Plateau state, Michal Monday Adanchi.

    The women are protesting the recent killings in the state.

    A source told journalists that the incident happened around 12:30 pm on Friday, January 5.

    The source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the women burned the house following the arrest of some members of the community for their alleged involvement in the recent killings in the area.

    Read Also: Plateau/Kaduna killings: Northern govs laud Tinubu for steps to curb recurrence

    According to him, the traditional ruler’s residence and his administrative office were burned down.

    “The incident began at the police station where they expressed their anger over the arrest of some members of the community,” the source said.

    “After leaving the police station, they proceeded to the house of the traditional ruler, protesting that he was a sellout. A few minutes after reaching the house, they set it ablaze.”

    The Nation learnt that soldiers later arrived in the area and dispersed the protesting women.

    Details shortly…

  • Chief Imam, okada operator killed in fresh attack on Plateau community

    Chief Imam, okada operator killed in fresh attack on Plateau community

    • Senator seeks military bases in troubled areas

    Grief has enveloped Ndun Tangur, a town in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, following the killing of a religious leader, Mallam Muhammad Idris, and a commercial motorcyclist, Muhammad Gambo by suspected bandits.

    Until his murder, Mallam Idris was the Chief Imam of Jumma’at Mosque in Ndun Tangur.

    His younger brother, Salisu Idris,  was also injured in the fresh attack attack on the community.

    The senator representing Plateau Centre. Diet Plang, who lamented the violence, called for the setting up of military bases in the troubled areas.

    The Chairman of Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN), Garba Abdullahi, who confirmed the incident, explained that the two siblings had gone to Ndun to retrieve the belongings they left behind while fleeing the Christmas Eve attacks by suspected bandits.

    No fewer than 160 persons were killed in the mayhem, which Governor Caleb  Muftwang described as a genocide.   

    Abdullahi said the latest attack was immediately reported to security agencies in Bokkos council.

    He said: “The Chief Imam and his younger brother were attacked on Monday after arriving at the community to collect some of their belongings left from the previous attacks. But they were attacked. The hoodlums killed the Imam while his younger brother survived machete wounds.

    “The Okada rider, Muhammed Gambo, was killed while bringing a passenger to the area. We have reported the incidents to the Police and Operation Safe Haven in Bokkos.”

    But the spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alfred Alabo, said the incident had yet to be properly reported. 

    He said: “Concerning the  Okada rider, it was some boys that lured him to a secluded area and robbed him of his bike.”

    Read Also: The Christmas Eve carnage on the Plateau

    Senator Plang urged the Federal Ministry of Humanitarians Affairs to provide building materials and palliatives to enable displaced residents return to their homes.

    He said that permanent solutions rather than short-term measures should be put in place to ensure that the perennial crises in the state are not repeated.

    Plang said: “  We must resolve that instead of having temporal palliative to issues of security, it is good for us to attain a permanent solution. Instead of when it happens, you will call the military to come and flush them out, we should go for permanent solutions by setting up military formations at flash-points.

    “ We have the point of entry of criminality from Barkin Ladi and  Bokkos;  we have another point of entry between Mangu Gindiri and Bauchi. If we have permanent security points in those places, criminals will be scared of getting close.

    The group said the current centralised policing structure does not have the capacity to prevent the magnitude of organised violence in rural communities.

    It added: “There’s no other option; we must decentralise policing or surrender to non-state actors until we are eventually overwhelmed.”

  • The Christmas Eve carnage on the Plateau

    The Christmas Eve carnage on the Plateau

    SIR: The senseless Christmas Eve carnage unleashed on at least 28 communities in Mangu, Bokkos and Barkin Ladi Local Council Areas of Plateau State is primitive, totally awful, barbaric and condemnable. Reports from different media platforms on the incident show that over 150 innocent people were murdered in their sleep by heartless invaders while about 221 houses were burnt down and more than 10,000 persons currently displaced.

    The mayhem unleashed on the affected peaceful rural communities is the worst according to reports since 2018. The attack according to community sources was said to have been carried out even when notice of the impending disaster had since November 15 been sent to the communities by the perpetrators of the dastardly act. The question is – what did government and the security agencies responsible for protecting lives and properties do?

    To an average indigene of Plateau State, the attack is one too many and government is not also doing enough to protect lives and properties. Most if not all the people see these unwarranted attacks as a concerted move by forces within and outside the state to kill, displace and take over their ancestral lands. Since 2002 when the Yelwa/Shendam crisis was birthed, Plateau State has known no peace and has been in the news for wrong reasons. Those in government pay lip services to the crisis and consistently engage in mere rhetoric. 

    Actually, the burning issues creating problems on the Plateau have been treated with levity for a long time. Until those in positions of authority and decision makers stop playing politics with human lives and confront the problems frontally, the energy invested will still result to constant motion without movement. 

    Have the governments at both the federal and state levels really defined and dimensioned the problems sufficiently and courageously? Not much has changed in the security architecture since 2015. Moreover, it appears that those in charge do not understand what the problem is or are part of it. The Bola Tinubu administration should do something fast and deal decisively with any killer group. Killing people and worse still in their sleep is extremely wicked. The government should show reasonable interest to end the crisis. The best honour to the dead is to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to book. 

    Read Also: BREAKING: Chief Imam, Okada rider killed in fresh Plateau attack

    Since 2002, there was no evidence of the political will, strong determination or decisive action taken by government against murderous groups causing mayhem on the plateau. Plateau people are angry, tired and frustrated. There is a limit to their patience and endurance. They should not be left with the option of relying on self-help as a survival instinct. New strategy for peace is desirable without further delay. Politically, culturally or religiously motivated crisis with obvious political answers should not be left alone in the hands of security agencies to resolve. Communities who are victims of the heinous attacks should be actively involved in finding lasting peace. The attackers themselves should also be involved in the peace process by making known their own position, intents and grievances, if any. 

    That this dastardly act took place on the eve of a global religious joyous moment shows how morally bankrupt the killers are and the extent human lives have been devalued in our society. The security challenges confronting plateau has once again brought to fore the conversation around the need for state police. When the states are given direct control over the coercive powers and resources to confront security challenges under the constitution, it will be very easy to restore peace, order and deal decisively with terrorists or any destructive elements like the ones plying their destructive trade on the plateau. 

    • Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, sunnyeze02@yahoo.com 
  • BREAKING: Chief Imam, Okada rider killed in fresh Plateau attack

    BREAKING: Chief Imam, Okada rider killed in fresh Plateau attack

    Malam Muhammad Sani Idris, the Chief Imam of the Jumma’at Mosque in Ndun village, Tangur District, Bokkos local government area of Plateau state, and Muhammad Gambo, an okada rider, have both been killed.

    The event was confirmed by Garba Abdullahi, the chairman of the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN) on Wednesday, January 3.

    He stated that Salisu Muhammad Sani Idris, the younger brother of the deceased Imam, sustained injuries during the attack and was undergoing treatment at Dung Hospital located in Bokkos town.

    The chairman said the incident had been reported to the security agencies in Bokkos for immediate action.

    The Nation reports that the latest killings of the two herders came barely a week after about 23 villages of Bokkos LGA were attacked where more than 150 people were killed.

    Narrating how the incident occurred, the GAFDAN chairman said: “The chief Imam and his younger were attacked on Monday, after arriving at the community to collect some of their belongings left from the recent attacks where houses of our members were burned down.

    “So, they went there to see if they could pick some of their property but suddenly were attacked. The hoodlums killed the imam while his younger brother survived machete wounds.

    Read Also: Plateau killings: Northcentral governors lift victims with N100m

    “The second deceased, Muhammed Gambo, an okada rider and our member, was killed on Monday around Bokkos Market while bringing a passenger to the area. We have reported the two incidents to the Police and Operation Safe Have in Bokkos,” the chairman added.

    Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, along with the service chiefs, visited the state on Sunday. Their visit was aimed at assessing the security situation and sympathising with the victims of recent attacks.

    During their visit to one of the affected communities, the service chiefs vowed to put an end to the needless killings in the state.

    Attacks and counterattacks have become commonplace in the state, especially between herders and farming communities.

  • Plateau killings: Northcentral governors lift victims with N100m

    Plateau killings: Northcentral governors lift victims with N100m

    Governors of Northcentral states yesterday donated N100 million to victims of Christmas Eve killings in Plateau State as calls for the Federal Government to revamp the security architecture grew.

    Terrorists attacked 15 villages in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas, killing over 115 persons and razing 221 houses.

    The death toll rose to about 200 days after the attack.

    Chairman of the Northcentral Governors Forum/Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule announced the cash gift when he and others visited Governor Caleb Mutfwang.

    He said it was to help reduce the survivors’ suffering.

    Describing Plateau as a home for all Nigerians, he stressed the need to identify the root causes of the attacks and find a lasting solution.

    Sule described the attack as terrorism, saying the perpetrators must be fished out and punished.

    Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia and his Niger State counterpart Mohammed Umar Bago condemned the killings, calling for unity.

    Alia called on the people of Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue and Niger states to unite and defeat terrorists.

    According to him, there was a need for a united strategy and willpower to consistently check the borders to curtail the menace.

    Mutfwang expressed appreciation to his brother-governors for visiting to commiserate with him.

    He reaffirmed his commitment to collaborating with them to promote peace, unity, and development in the region.

    Also yesterday, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) urged the Federal Government to address insecurity.

    In a statement by its president, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau (SAN), the association said there seemed to be a gap in the security architecture, a lack of inter-agency synergy and coordination, poor intelligence gathering or a deliberate failure to act despite the intelligence.

    NBA said: “The government, through our Armed Forces and other security agencies, must ensure that no square inch of the Nigerian territory is left ungoverned.

    “No part of Nigeria should be left under the control of criminal elements by whatever name so-called.

    “Government must make a deliberate investment in security, of such a scale and magnitude, which will leave Nigerians in no doubt as to the sincerity of the statement made by the President.

    “The Federal Government must adopt a holistic approach to the issue of security while not overlooking the peculiarities of each region and design bespoke measures to deal with them.

    “In this wise, the government must neither be ‘scared’ nor ‘ashamed’ to make the right investments in security, in line with global trends in security, without compromising our sovereignty.”

    Former Senate President David Mark urged the Federal Government to review the country’s security architecture.

    In a statement by his Media Adviser, Paul Mumeh, in Abuja, Mark said there is an urgent need to declare an emergency on security.

    He added that a review would identify the loopholes and devise a means to end the bloodshed.

    Mark said: “It will not be out of place to declare an emergency on security. Any step taken to end the continued killing of citizens will be worth the trouble.”

    Also, the Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to revive the forest guard policy.

    Its Chairman, Isaac Abrak, said in a statement: “We are urging President Tinubu to fulfil his campaign promise of revitalising the Forest Ranger/Forest Guard initiative, aligning with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

    “This initiative is crucial to supporting the efforts of security agencies and the military in safeguarding lives and properties.

    “NCYP advocated for the recruitment of youth residing in forest fringe communities, emphasizing their intimate knowledge of the terrain and the potential to identify law-abiding citizens from criminals.

    “We believe empowering these youths is key to enhancing security measures in these areas and curbing terrorist activities exploiting festive seasons.”

    The Plateau chapter of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), visited Mutfwang, urging stakeholders to be more responsive to early warning signals to avoid a repeat of such conflict.

    Its Chairman, who is also the Emir of Wase, Alhaji Mohammed Haruna, described the incident as unfortunate and irreligious.

    “Islam in no way encourages such kind of horror; Islam does not give anyone the right to take the life of another and in your government you have Muslims working with you.

    “I pray that this will be the last time that any gathering like this will be held because of something like this happening on the Plateau.

    “It is time for us to put our hands together like our forefathers have done in the past to guard against such.

    Read Also: Osun APC blasts Aregbesola, says ex-gov dishonoured agreement by Tinubu, Akande

    “I want to urge you and the local government chairmen to utilise the early warning signals which are usually available before such crises erupt and this recent attack was no exception.

    “May God console those who suffered losses and grant eternal rest to the departed,” he said.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) donated Trauma Kits to the Plateau government to provide succour for the victims.

    Musa Mahdi, WHO’s Coordinator in Plateau, who presented the kits yesterday in Jos, noted that the gesture was in line with the organisation’s mandate of supporting the government in addressing the humanitarian crisis.

    Mahdi explained that the kits contained commodities that could be used to meet the health needs of the displaced persons in the state.

    “These trauma kits have over 60 pieces of equipment in each of them that can be used to conduct over 200 procedures and attend to over 100 persons with severe injuries.

    “We are presenting this to the Plateau government to enable it to respond and provide immediate remedy to all health emergencies,” he said.

  • Lagos CAN condemns Plateau attack, seeks arrest of perpetrators

    Lagos CAN condemns Plateau attack, seeks arrest of perpetrators

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Lagos State chapter has condemned the Christmas eve attacks on several communities in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi Local Government areas of Plateau State by persons suspected to be terrorists which left over 150 persons dead.

     A statement  by the association’s Special Adviser to the Chairman on Media and Strategic Communications, Rev. Oladapo Daramola, quoted the Chairman  Bishop Stephen Adegbite as saying something drastic should be done.

     The statement reads: “To  throw an entire nation into mourning at a period that should be for rejoicing and celebrations is callous, sadistic and emotionally torturing. It is clearly an attempt to deal a major blow on the psyche of Nigerians especially the Christian community in Plateau State, but they must have realised by now that they have failed. Our heart goes out to the families that lost their loved ones in this gruesome and brazen attacks and we assure them of our support and prayers.”

    Read Also: Full list of blacklisted foreign universities in Nigeria

     “This latest attack brings back sad memories of the massacre at Dyemburuk, widely known as Dogo Na Hauwa in the same Plateau State in 2010 where over 500 people, mostly women and children were killed in a midnight attack. And as we speak, no one or group has been arrested or prosecuted for such an horrific act. We are however confident that Mr. President would not allow a repeat of this past failure. We are hopeful that the full scale investigation he has ordered would not be a wild goose chase. The perpetrators must be arrested and the full weight of the law must come down heavily on them as a sign of our readiness as a country to prevent any of such in the future.”

     Adegbite urged the Federal Government to make relief materials available for  affected and vulnerable household in those communities to cushion the effect of the attacks.

  • Plateau attack: Security expert cautions against inciting statements

    Plateau attack: Security expert cautions against inciting statements

    A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos state and security expert, Ambassador Abayomi  Mumuni, has cautioned religious and ethnic leaders against inciting statements in respect of the attacks in Plateau state. 

    He said that this is necessary in order to avoid more needless crises in Plateau and other states across the federation. 

    Recall that no fewer than 163 people have been reportedly killed in the last two weeks in the state. 

    It was gathered that some gunmen invaded two local government areas in the state; Barkin -Ladi and Bokkos and killed several people and destroyed property worth millions of naira. 

    However, Mumuni in his reaction, cautioned religious and ethnic demagogues to eschew statements that are capable of inciting the people and pitching them against one another.

    Mumuni also condemned the attack which he described as cruel and disheartening, according to a statement issued by his media aide, Rasheed Abubakar on Tuesday, January 2.

    He said: “The roles that some religious and ethnic leaders play in this crisis are also condemnable. My investigations into the Plateau crisis show that some religious scholars preach hate to their followers. That is so ungodly, and they should stop. The government must also rise to monitor and manage the kind of sermons pushed out by the religious leaders.

    Read Also: Plateau: Why some governors should refund their security votes

    “It is hate sermons that incite people to reprisal attack which has been identified as a major highlight in the Plateau crisis. We must at all times preach tolerance and understanding. I believe the establishment of state police will do more to reveal and investigate the local issues surrounding the constant attacks in Plateau.”

    Mumuni who served in the Security/Intelligence Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 general election, said that state police will give latitude to governors who are Chief Security Officers of their states to address security matters with the urgency that is required without selfish interests and primordial sentiments. 

    He added that there should mechanism in place in ensuring that the police structure isn’t totally in the control of the State government.

    He added: “The crisis in Plateau state is not new, and it has multiple dimensions. There is a long, deep-seated ethnic/religious rivalry in that state. There is also the herders-farmers dimension to killings reported in the state. The crisis has turned out to be what the people are accustomed to. There is therefore a need for local intelligence and approach to tackle the crisis.”

    The renowned author of ‘Global Terrorism and its Effects on Humanity ‘ however said that the Plateau Christmas eve attack is a wake-up call to the Federal Government and National Assembly to immediately revisit the age-long call for state police amidst rising insecurity.

    He noted: “In view of this, I want to urge the Federal Government ably led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to revisit the calls for state police in Nigeria. Apart from engendering true federalism in the country, which the President has consistently identified with, the establishment of state police has the tendency to tackle most of our security challenges in Nigeria. This is because these security challenges are rooted in local matters such as a distrust between two ethnic or religious or even economic groups.”

    Mumuni noted that state police will give latitude to Governors who are Chief Security Officers of their states to address security matters with the urgency that is required without selfish interests and primordial sentiments, adding that there should  mechanism in place in ensuring that the police structure isn’t totally in the control of the State government.

  • Plateau announces seven-day mourning over attacks

    Plateau announces seven-day mourning over attacks

    In the wake of the attacks on Christmas Eve in several Plateau State towns that claimed the lives of over 150 people, the state administration on Monday announced a seven-day mourning period that would begin on January 1.

    The announcement was delivered by Governor Caleb Mutfwang during his statewide New Year’s broadcast to the public.

    Additionally, he pardoned three people whose sentences had been reduced to lesser terms and one person, Danladi Musa, who had been given a life sentence.

    The governor said, “It is true that we ended the year 2023 on a sad note because of the many precious lives we lost including but not limited to over 400 between April and June, 2023 as well as the over 160 in the recent Christmas genocide.

    “From small eruptions of conflict sometime in 2001, no one could have imagined that our dear state would witness such unquantifiable bloodshed of innocent lives, some known and others unknown. It is quite grievous to  my heart that Plateau State has today become the cynosure of the whole nation and indeed the world for the wrong reasons.

    “These unprovoked and simultaneous attacks in different villages were clearly premeditated and coordinated. These series of attacks on our people are a clear case of criminality, insurgency and terrorism and must be seen and handled in that manner if we must succeed in halting this wanton destruction of lives and property.”

    The Nation reports that on Sunday, December 24, 2023, gunmen raided the villages of Ndun, Ngyong, Murfet, Makundary, Tamiso, Chiang, Tahore, Gawarba, Dares, Meyenga, Darwat, and Butura Kampani villages in the Barkin Ladi, Mangu and Bokkos areas of the state, burning houses and shooting residents.

    Mutfwang expressed his sympathies to the Plateau’s residents for these murders, particularly to the impacted areas and the surviving family members.

    He added, “My heart goes out to you and be assured that my family, the entire government and I deeply share in your grief. We will not rest on our oars but will tirelessly collaborate with the Federal Government to bring an end to these tragedies and bring succour to affected persons and communities.

    Read Also: Terrorists deposited arms ahead of attacks on Plateau communities, says senator

    “As a mark of honour for the memory of the deceased, I wish to declare a week of mourning from January 1to January 8, 2024.

    “During this period of mourning, flags will fly at half-mast. I urge all citizens to use these days for intense prayers to seek the intervention of the Almighty God in defending our territories and against wicked men that have risen against us.

    “I wish to plead with our Muslim clerics to dedicate Friday, January 5, 2024 and our Christian clergy to use Sunday January 7, 2024 as special prayer days for lasting peace to return to the Plateau. Monday 8th January, 2024 will be observed as our official state day of mourning.”

    The governor emphasized that in spite of these assaults, the people’s morale remained unbroken and they were determined to protect and flourish in their country.

    In the face of these hardships, he expressed confidence that 2024 will showcase their inner strength and fortitude.

  • Plateau’s killing fields

    Plateau’s killing fields

    Why can’t we be proactive and stop such attacks before they happen. What happened to our intelligence gathering mechanisms? Can anybody tell me that nobody knew that such attacks were coming?

    These were the very strong words with which the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar 111 queried the Christmas Eve’s coordinated attacks in three local government areas of Plateau State. Sultan’s observations contained in a goodwill message to the 80th National Islamic Vacation Course in Bauchi State, captures very succinctly the dilemma in the sustained killings in that state that seem to have overwhelmed the capacities of the security agencies.

    But in them can be located all that has been wrong with the handling of the orgy of violence that has left that state to the atavism of the state of nature where life has become nasty, short and brutish. We shall return to this.

    In those well planned and well executed attacks penultimate Saturday, spanning through Sunday and Monday, Bokkos, Barkin Ladi and Mangu local governments were invaded by armed bandits killing and maiming innocent residents, burning and destroying properties without challenge.

    The terrorists launched the attacks from several fronts on about 23 communities including churches leaving in its trail shock and awe. It took about 12 hours before the security agencies could respond to distress calls from communities.

     There were initial attempts to play down the casualty level because of the monumental embarrassment it was. When the real figures later emerged from the local government officials and aid agencies, the gravity of the harm gave out the attack as one of the most deadly and bloody the state had seen in recent times.

    The latest figures put the death toll at 195 with even a larger number of people sustaining varying degrees of injury. Some 1, 290 houses were said to have been burnt in Bokkos alone while that of Barkin Ladi is still sketchy. More than 10, 000 residents were also reported to have been displaced from their homes and taking refuge in schools churches and any available space.

    Read Also: Bloody Plateau

    The attack is just one in the series of killings and maiming that have come to characterize that state. A national daily reported recently that 346 people were killed in eight local governments of the state between April 17 and July 10, 2023.

    In May 2023, the House of Representatives member for Mangu/Bokkos constituency, Solomon Marren had said in a statement that about 200 people had been killed in his constituency within a few months. Of this figure, more than 100 people were killed within two days. Before he spoke, the unceasing killings had sparked off protests from youths and women in the area.

    Human Rights Watch estimated that more than 1,000 lives were lost in the communal ‘war’ of September 2001 in Jos. And hardly does any month pass by since the beginning of this year without reports of attacks by the so-called terrorists with serious tolls on human and material capital.

     As usual, we have been treated to the ritual of official condemnations from both within and outside the shores of the country. President Bola Tinubu condemned the killings in very strong terms and tasked security agencies to comb the whole zone and fish out the masterminds. He has also promised that the envoys of death, pain and sorrow will not escape justice even as relief materials to the displaced and medical attention for the wounded will be accorded utmost attention.

    But even as the president has vowed to fish out the masterminds of the killings, the invaders have threatened fresh attacks on the Pushit community in the Mangu Local Government. The police acknowledged the existence of the threat letter. But the community is not taking the matter lightly because when the terrorists issued such threats in the past, they made good their promise.

    They now live in fear and would want the government to take the matter seriously to avert being taken by surprise. In the past, allegations had been made of the inability of the security agencies to act on such credible information only for the terrorists to make good their threat. This had in part, fuelled allegations of sympathy of the authorities for the invaders.

    But more seriously, the threat brings to the fore the very insecure and dangerous environment in which these communities have had to live since the attacks resurged in the last couple of years. They have seen attacks after attacks. They have seen copious condemnations from the federal government, well-meaning Nigerians, foreign countries and international bodies.

    But all these have not brought any respite to the people. The government has overtime empowered special military operations to stem the tide. Sadly, Plateau communities have been at the receiving end; constantly prone to the killings by the invaders who operate with a seeming air of invincibility only to disappear into the thin air after their dastardly escapades. 

    The communities are unlikely to be enthused by mere orders, condemnations and proclamations unless they see a remarkably different approach by the government to substantially get at the secret of the attacks that have defied the security agencies. It is very puzzling that as many as 23 communities could be contemporaneously attacked and inflicted with the high causality level seen without the security agencies getting such intelligence prior to the attack.

    That was the puzzle the Sultan faced when he asked to be told why nobody knew that such attack was coming. It is a loaded question that ought to be resolved for the authorities to get the right handle to the recurring killings. For the terrorists to invade such a large number of communities from all fronts in coordinated attacks would suggests they have a standing ‘army’.

    Where this striking force lives, have their training ground, acquire and conceal arms and ammunitions are issues President Tinubu has to unravel if he must make the difference. The government also has to unravel where the terrorists/bandits escape to after every attack. But answers to these puzzles are not hard to fathom if the government musters the necessary political will to tame the monster.

    It is the glaring inability of the last government to decisively confront the known monster that accounts for the suspicion that it has some sympathy for the killers. The new administration must work to change that narrative. Understanding the real issues to the conflict, the warring parties, remote and immediate causes are vital to lasting resolution to the unceasing killings. When attacks are attributed to terrorists, the question of the identity of the terrorists should be resolved.

    Are they the same as bandits? What is the difference between bandits and rampaging herdsmen? Are they two sides of the same coin? The way these questions are resolved will get us closer to taming the killings that have reduced the value and worth of life in that state.

    Some of the issues that have fuelled the unceasing crises have been attributed to competition for land, herder-farmer conflict, ethno-religious conflict and politics. The issues are complex but not insurmountable if the government wants to do the right thing.

    It must have come as a rude shock to many when Governor Caleb Mutfwang disclosed on live television programme that terrorists/bandits have been occupying some schools in some local governments for up to five years now. And yet nothing happens! He said that more than 64 communities have been displaced from the ancestral homes even as he blamed the government not arresting and prosecuting the attackers. The governor identified land acquisition by force as central to the conflict.

    So the issues are known. The abode of some of the attackers is known. They occupy some schools in the state. They live in the forests under whatever guise. The forests in Plateau and neighbouring states are their planning and attacking platforms. What we do with those living in ungoverned forests and bushes with sophisticated weapons will make a whole lot of difference.

    The government is not really helpless in this matter! 

  • Pressure on security agencies as fresh plateau attack claims three

    Pressure on security agencies as fresh plateau attack claims three

    • Senate invites armed forces, intelligence chiefs over incident
    • Plateau killings is war against Nigeria, says Kukah
    • Jang demands state police; cleric alleges ethnic cleansing

    The National Assembly yesterday turned the heat on the military in the aftermath of the Christmas Day coordinated attacks in Plateau State.

    The Senate invited the Service Chiefs to come for discussion on how an end might be put to such massacres while the House of Representatives asked the police to immediately conduct a detailed investigation into the attacks with a view to identifying the perpetrators and bringing them to justice.

    The immediate past governor of the state, Senator Simon Lalong said there was no merit in the excuse given by the Defence Headquarters on why soldiers could not immediately intervene to stop the invaders while another former governor of the state, Jonah Jang called for state police.

    The House of Representatives urged an immediate investigation of the attacks by the police while the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Dr.Matthew Kukah described the onslaught as a war against Nigeria.

    They all spoke amid report of a fresh killing of three youths in the state by gunmen.

    Summoned yesterday by the Senate are Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, National Security Adviser,  Nuhu Ribadu, Director General of the Department of State Services, Magaji Bichi, Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.

    This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Senator Diket Plang (APC – Plateau Central) on the floor.

    The Senate said the invitation would enable the security chiefs brief it about what happened and how to prevent a re-occurrence.

    Senator Plang in his lead debate on the motion lamented that the state which used to be hailed as home of peace has now been turned into a zone of violence mainly by cattle rustlers and illegal miners.

    The Christmas Day attacks, he said, were well coordinated.  He stated that the attack that claimed many lives on the eve of Christmas was well-coordinated.

    The Senator insisted that most of the crises were caused by cattle rustlers and illegal miners.

    Plang called for the use of drones and cameras to monitor the bandits troubling the state and locate their hideouts.

    He asked for a minute silence in honor of those who lost their lives in the attacks.

    The senator also urged the upper chamber to direct the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs to distribute relief materials to the affected victims.

    Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP – Bauchi Central) who seconded the motion said there appeared to be no synergy among the security agencies hence the ability of marauders to strike at will.

    He said his visit to the victims of the attacks at the University of Jos Teaching Hospital revealed that the gunmen did not even spare anyone during the invasion, including three month old babies who now carry gunshot wounds.

    He urged the Senate to support Plateau State with appropriate funding for the welfare of displaced persons.

    Senator Lalong (APC, Plateau South), expressed sadness over the attack.

    “Those who are displaced in 2021 have not been returned to their homes because the land is devastated. A man who is displaced will always be an angry man. Let us call the military to order,” Lalong said.

    In his remarks, the Senate President,  Godswill Akpabio said that the country needed to increase its surveillance and intelligence gathering.

    Akpabio therefore led the upper chamber to observe one minute silence in honor of those who lost their lives in the attacks.

    Flush out perpetrators of Christmas eve attack in Plateau, Reps tell IGP, other security agencies

    Apart from asking the police to investigate the Christmas Day attacks, the House of Representatives urged the Minister of Defense to initiate a coordinated Joint Security Operation in the attack prone  local government areas and adjoining towns in Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Nasarawa states to flush out the criminals and prevent them from escaping to other states.

    It also asked the Chief of Air Staff to provide aerial surveillance and support to flush out criminal hideouts and camps.

    The Department of State Services and Directorate of Military Intelligence were told to gather intelligence information on the influx, camping and operations of criminal groups within Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Mangu and other volatile local government areas and adjoining towns and share same with other sister security agencies; and the Chief of Army Staff to establish military presence/bases in the said local government areas and other volatile areas of Plateau State.

    Similarly, the House mandated its Committees on Police, Defense, Army and National Intelligence, to investigate the root causes of these incessant killings with a view to providing lasting solutions.

    The House set up a delegation to visit the scenes of the killings in order to condole with families of victims and the government and people of Plateau State.

    It directed the Committees on NEMA, Defense, Army, Air force, Police and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance and furnish the House with a monthly report until the security situation is resolved.

    It also directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to immediately assess the extent of damage and displacement in attacked communities within the said local government areas with a view to providing necessary relief materials.

    The House observed a one-minute silence in respect of the souls of all those killed in the recent attack.

    These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion of urgent importance to condemn and investigate the attack moved by Hon Idris Wase (Wase, Plateau State).

    Attacks attempt to disrupt peace in Plateau- lawmakers.

    The Plateau State House of Assembly described the attacks as attempts to disrupt the relative peace in the state.

    Speaker of the House, Gabriel Dawan, at a press conference in Jos described the attack on innocent citizens as barbaric, callous, unprovoked and heinous.

    The House asked the affected communities to understand such activities as an attempt to destroy the relative peace in the state and said the people could not afford to be taken back to the inglorious dark days.

    The State Legislature appealed to the security agencies in the state to stand firm and work proactively to discharge their primary mandate of maintaining peace and order.

    Jang seeks establishment of state police

    Jang, in a statement in Jos, said what was needed now was prompt action by the authorities to deal with the perpetrators of the mayhem, and not rhetoric.

    He said one way out was the establishment of state police.

    His words: “This dastardly act has once again tampered with the peace of our dear state as it was orchestrated by people who are hell-bent on ensuring that the ordinary Plateau man does not enjoy the serenity God through nature has bestowed on him.

    “Choosing to murder harmless villagers in their homes as they prepared to celebrate the yuletide is the most horrendous wickedness that anyone could imagine. None of the hundreds of our people who lost their lives in the Christmas Eve attack by marauding terrorists envisaged that their lives would be cut short in such a gruesome manner.

    “The killings on the plateau would seem to have gone on unabated as the non-arrest and prosecution of perpetrators have bolstered the serial killers to carry out more and more killings. Unfortunately, villagers in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Riyom and Mangu LGAs have continued to bear the brunt of terrorists who seem to have sworn to dispossess them of their heritage at all costs.

    “That these killers are out on a cleansing agenda and plan to take over the lands of the people they try to wipe out is no longer hidden. As painful as these killings are, equally hard and painstaking efforts must be made to put an end to them to restore Plateau to its known peaceful atmosphere which made it home to many people, even in decades past.

    “While we agree with the President that the culprits must be apprehended and made to face prosecution, we must note that these directives have been issued repeatedly. Yet, neither arrests nor prosecutions have been made in the past. It is therefore pertinent that at this point, there is the need to attend to the call for State Police as part of measures for boosting security, ensuring early response in crises and confronting the challenges of insecurity headlong.

    Read Also: Peter Obi pledges N5millions to support Plateau attack victims

    “A situation where state governors have no powers to immediately deploy personnel to quell attacks and confront marauding terrorists is worrisome. The killings are getting out of hand and the State Police option is viable for nipping these massacres in the bud. States should be given the power to create, train and equip their police to enable state governors to deal with peculiar security situations in their various states. More than ever, the time to heed the call for state policing is now.

    “The National Assembly must take this call seriously and rise to the occasion, act in the interest of the Plateau People and consider the issue as a matter of urgent importance. While we commend the efforts of the Federal and Plateau State governments in responding to the recent attacks, we reckon that more can be done to stop the seeming non-stop attacks and needless loss of the lives of innocent villagers who are murdered while in their sleep or as they struggle on their farms to eke a living for themselves.

    “There is more that can be done, the endless killings are unacceptable, and our people must be allowed to stay in their homes, and continue to cultivate their farmlands without any intimidation or fear of unprovoked attacks which leave them homeless or decapitated.

    It’s war against Nigeria, says Kukah

    In his own reaction, Dr.Kukah  said the killers  have no  respect  for the boundaries of religion, region or ethnicity and keep attacking Christians, Muslims, churches and mosques.

    He said the killings were no longer acts by herders and farmers over grazing fields.

    He asked the intelligence community to unmask the killers, where they live and what their goals are.

    He tasked the military and security agencies to rise to the challenges at hand.

    He said the culture of investigation as excuses must end.

    He expressed regrets that the Northern part of the country, especially the Middle Belt, has turned into a killing field.

    But he commended the Federal Government for its responses to tragedies.

    He said: “We are gradually taking eerie solace in the fact that these killers do not respect the boundaries of religion, region or ethnicity. We seem to be consoled that they are destroying churches as well as mosques, killing Christians as well as Muslims.

    “We seem to be lulled into a feeling of collective consolation and we all believe that we are all victims of an endless orgy of violence that has taken over our land.

    “There is a method to this madness. The choice of location, communities, timings, the seeming hooded identities of the killers mask a fact: we may not know who they are, but someone wants something from the Middle Belt. Stretch your imagination from the emergence of the modern Nigerian state and connect the dots.

    “Sadly, with time, Nigerians are gradually losing hope in the ability of their government to protect and secure them.

    “While we religious leaders have continued to use our moral authority to encourage our people not to take the laws into their hands, we risk being swept away by the anger and frustration of our people. We even risk being seen as accomplices to an erring state.

    “The Nigerian state itself risks becoming an undertaker in the eyes of its citizens. Our cups of sorrow are overflowing. We have cried enough tears.

    “We may pretend that we are not at war, but truly, a war is being waged against the Nigerian state and its people. God forbid, but we could snap anytime, anywhere and for any reason.”

    The Catholic Bishop said it was time to unmask the killers and their sponsors.

    He added: “By the banks of the Niger River, on the hills of the Plateau, across the lush savannah of the Middle Belt, we have sat down and wept. We have questions crying for answers: Who are these killers? Where are they coming from? Who is sponsoring them? What are their grouses and against whom? What do they want? Whom do they want? Who are they working for? When will it all end? Why are they invincible and invisible? Who is offering them cover? Are we condemned to live with this and hand this broken nation to our children? Should we all just become inoculated and sedated to make all this bearable? Who will supply the opium to dull our pain? Are we sleep-walking to self-destruction?

    “Why has the north become the birthplace of so much bloodletting? Why have these killings been seen as tools of negotiation with the Nigerian state by the protectors of the north? Why has our north become the incubator of all that is destructive? Boko Haram, banditry and shades of terrorism all live in our region. Why is this so?

    “These killers are not ordinary murderers. They are killers for a purpose. It is the task of the intelligence community to tell us who they are, where they live and what their goals are.

    “These killers are professionals and are they Nigerians or they have just Nigerian sponsors? Their sponsors are among us. They must be in high places. They are now embedded in the architecture of  state. President Tinubu must know that the legitimacy of his government hangs on resolving this and giving us our country back.”

    Kukah asked the military and all security agencies to rise to the challenge of insecurity in the country,

    He said the war against banditry, terrorism and killings must be won.

    He, however, said Nigerians were tired of excuses or the culture of investigation.

    Plateau killings aimed at ethnic cleansing – ECWA President

    The President of Evangelical Church Winning All Worldwide (ECWA) and Head of Denominational Church Leaders on the Plateau, Dr. Stephen Panya, said the church was pained that the attacks were carried out against innocent and harmless Christians who were climaxing preparations to celebrate Christmas. Unfortunately, their joy was turned into pains, weeping and sorrow.

    He said: “It is very clear that some people have vowed never to allow peace reign on the Plateau.

    “If not for reasons of genocide and ethnic cleansing, what could be the reason for such unprovoked, premeditated, simultaneous and well-coordinated attacks on Christmas eve against communities that are predominantly Christians? This speaks volume of the evil intentions of the attackers and their sponsors.

    “How possible is it for such massive and well-coordinated attacks to take place across two local government areas without any iota of intelligence? Why did security agencies fail to respond swiftly despite several distress calls? Why the choice of Christmas eve for the attacks despite assurances from security agencies to provide adequate security during the yuletide?

    Three killed in fresh Plateau attack

    Gunmen were said to have again killed three youths in a fresh attack which occurred in Bokkos Local Government Area of the state on Friday.

    The victims, suspected to be herders, were said to have gone to Lut, one of the communities attacked on December 25,to pick up some stranded relatives ,only to be shot by gunmen.

    Our soldiers didn’t maltreat women in Plateau, says DHQ

    The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said yesterday that soldiers on operations in Plateau State never maltreated any women, contrary to what was being circulated in social media.

    It said rather, the soldiers have been conducting the operations professionally according to the laid down laws and rules.

    The Acting Director Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau in a statement faulted a video trending on social media.

    He said the video in question “actually originated from an incident that took place in Sambisa Forest in 2021, involving the spouses of Boko Haram members during the capture of strongholds of the Boko Haram insurgents and not in Plateau State as falsely claimed.”