• Christian group says 212 killed in Christmas eve massacre
From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
Emir of Wase, Muhammadu Haruna, has given Plateau Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, the marching order to put machinery in motion to identify who is a real resident of the state.
Haruna said the practice where somebody enters the state, settles and begins to cause trouble should be over.
Speaking when a delegation of Muslim Umma paid a condolence visit to Mutfwang at the Government House, Little Rayfield, yesterday, the emir also mandated the governor to establish taxes so that true residents could be identified.
He said in the past, people do not just come and settle anywhere they like.
“The practice is that the visitor is first introduced to the village chief, who, after inquiries, allocates a portion of land to the visitor. The village chief then gives an account of the visitor. But today, the reverse is the case. Somebody just come, settle somewhere and begin to cause trouble.
“In the past, people didn’t just come and settle anywhere, but today there is no control. It is time to ensure nobody comes in and does whatever he likes and goes away. Introduce taxes as an obligation so that residents can be identified,” he said.
The emir expressed regret that in the past 20 years that crises in the state had festered, nobody had been arrested and prosecuted.
“All these things have been happening for the past 20 years and nobody has been held accountable. People need to be accountable for their actions. Many judicial panels of inquiries have been set up and white papers released but not even one person has been prosecuted. If one person had been persecuted, it would have set an example to others,” he said.
He described Mutfwang’s administration as their own government, saying: “Your government is ours and we support you in entirety. Muslim Umma are behind you 99.9 per cent except for some bad eggs and you find them everywhere.”
Mutfwang said he was gratified by the solidarity exhibited by the Muslim Umma.
He said: “I owe you a debt of gratitude. Some people have tried to malign me by saying I don’t love Muslims, but the evidence on the ground is on the contrary.
“We will deal with all enemies, arrest, prosecution take place and culprits punished. I am happy with the support the emir has given me. I am happy that the Muslim Umma has, in unison, condemned the killings on the Plateau. I will make sure we utilise the suggestions given by the emir. Nobody should be above the law.”
Meanwhile, ECWA President and Chairman, Denominational Leaders on the Plateau, Stephen Panya, has given an update on the Christmas eve killings.
Speaking during a peace walk organised by the forum and the Christian Association of Nigeria, Panya said the total number of people massacred in cold blood so far on Christmas eve and Christmas Day are about 212 and they are still counting.