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Armed Fulani herders have become daring. They have become emboldened by the empty “vows” government and security agencies make each time they( herders) carry out blood- chilling mayhem on the Plateau.Armed herders brazenly roam various Plateau communities, pillaging, raping women, looting, maiming and killing innocent citizens unchallenged. Sometimes, they adopt guerrilla-like warfare tactics in their bloody campaign of terror, mostly at night. No doubt, the Fulanis are endowed with the dignity of night movement, but they are using it for the wrong reasons. They move at night mostly unnoticed , kill, maim, destroy and escape into the thin air and remain undected. Fulani leaders are not helping matters. They have attended several high level security meetings with government officials, but they hardly identify the terrorists and killers among their folks or publicly make any effort to submit names to the security agencies for profiling, investigation and prosecution. It is not as if Fulani leaders don’t know the identities of the black sheep- the terrorists and blood thirsty demons-among them. They know their identities and places of abode in the forests and bushes across the country but will never reveal them to security agencies for reason best known to them.
For every crises in a state, government and securities agencies ought to be proactive to mitigate the situation. Given the foregoing, I submit thus:
* The Department of State Security (DSS) should be more committed in staging a more robust and combative information mechanism.
Recall that in the days of yore, the secret police was a reliable pillar through which every security information flow to the Army, the Police and other security agencies.
* The Nigerian Police Department of Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) and Special Investigation Bureau (SIB) have to be more proactive.They need to revisit information technology strategies, sharpen their technical know- how and be more proactive rather than reactive. There are lot of loopholes in these departments. The Inspector- General of police should urgently rejing the CIB and SIB to become result oriented departments, using women officers as baits to infiltrate various communities and groups to extract veritable intelligence for effective action to forestall attacks.
* It has been observed that there is no security checkpoint from Rukuba junction spaning Farin Gada. This is not good enough, considering the fact that these areas are flash points.
* Police Divisional Headquaters should be established between Bauchi junction to Farin Gada. Security check points on that axis will serve as a buffer zone to enable security agencies and their personnel collate useful intelligence on criminals, given that the area is hugely populated with students, members of the Hausa community and also borders Bauchi and Kaduna states. Establishing a Police Divisional Headquarters in this area will an added advantage to the police. This will help to checkmate crime and criminalities and foster peace. Moreso, the attackers of March 29, 2026 were alleged to have escaped through this corridor.
* There is this believe that uniformed army personnel aided the attack of 29th March. This needs to be thoroughly investigated.The installation of CCTV cameras will help investigation and escalate such claims and proof it’s veracity or otherwise to guide the Army in future. Past experiences have shown that terrorists and armed herders acquired military uniforms illegally and used them for their operation and attacks. The Army has to do more to checkmate the use of its uniform by criminals. The Nigerian Army should also institute a high level investigative panel to determine why and how its uniforms easy get into the wrongs hands. It must equally devise means to identify a genuine soldier on a genuine mission at night. This will stem the tide of fake soldiers and criminals adorning Army uniforms for nefarious activities. There is the need to cleanse all other security services of bad eggs-crimimals and terrorist collaborators and sympathisers- to restore confidence in the civilian populace. Personally, I will not doubt the allegation that Nigerian Army soldiers were among the Angwa Rubuka horrific terrorist attacks.Whoever listened to the narrative by a student victim of the attack currently on admission at the University of Jos Teaching Hospital, JUTH, will agree that the attackers used a
Army uniforms as a shields. There are avalanche of such cases where land grablers used fake Army uniform to protect themselves.
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* The state government should as a matter of urgency,embark on a comprehensive campaign to various communities, to appeal to their youths to avoid reprisal attacks by all means. conmunities and youths should fashion out means and ways to protect their areas, fight back only where necessary,against attacks by either Fulani/herders or Hausa settlers, but on no account should they vent their anger on the Hausa settlers if they are attacked by herders or retaliate against the Fulani/herders if attacked by the Hausa settlers. This message should be preached to both Berom, Tarok, Ron, Hausa, Angas and Fulani etc communities.
* Government should be seen to be proactive, government should not by any means ignore information or intelligence received on any intending attack. Government should always involve security agencies and be put on alert at all times. It should also fashion out quick response measures without delay. This will help to nip future intrusions and attacks in the bud.
* Government, by now should have established what I will like to refer to as PAID INFORMANT SYSTEM (PIS) in every strategic locations within the Jos metropolis and other identified volatile and vulnerable areas where attacks are likely to occur. PIS will help facilitate inflow of information to the security agencies, ward heads, community, religious and youth leaders of some of these vulnerable communities. These persons could act as veritable paid tools.
* Government should as a matter of urgency, establish a Central Data Bank ( CDB) charged with collatig all such information and intelligence, analysing them, and disseminating them to security agencies for prompt action.
* There should be a workable information technology platform linking all check-points within the state capital with all the local government areas and to all locations JTF FOB are located. This will create synergy with both the JTF, Police, Civil Defence and vigilante groups of the various communities and even among religious, community and youth leaders. They will all benefit from this arrangement. It is to allow for a more conducive supply and circulation of urgent information and intelligence accompanied with expedient actions.
Finally, if the Berom, Tarok,, Afizere, Buji, Fulani, Angas, Hausa, Ron etc tribes and communities claim they own Plateau State, why then the madness of killing one another? When we kill one other, who will occupy the state, own the vast farmlands and the mineral resources God has blessed the Plateau with? Why the hatred? God has a reason for dividing us into tribes and religions but we have failed to respect Him for who He is and for whom He is to all of us. I made this submission given that Plateau state, since I was born until recently, has largely been a peaceful state in Nigeria. However, today the peace that had existed has been shattered, badly strained by needless hate and kilings. I call on all tribes and adherents of the Nigeria’s two main religions- Christianity and Islam- resident on the Plateau to STOP THE CARNAGE NOW!.
Meanwhile, let’s not forget that a group of peace loving indigenes of the state, came together and formed an association named Plateau Indigeneous Development Assicistion Network ( PIDAN) and presented a document which traced the origin of plateau state. The document was published and it revealed what the British colonial administration had documented about the ownership of Jos and its chiefdom. That publication was meant to bring peace to the state.But the movers of Jasawa soon realised they were on the wrong side of history as they have been infiltrated. The entire state is now filled with hate mantra which has eaten deep into the fabrics of the various communities and groups, including the youths of both the indigeneous tribes and the Hausas settlers. There is no denying the fact that the Hausa settlers have been laying claim to the ownership of Jos. There is also no denying the fact that the British colonial administration had carefully documented these retorics and vexatious ownership claim and totally rejected them on their entirety. Both the state and federal governments had set up numerous commissions of inquiries and their reports are deep rooted and in public domain. For example, the late Justice Niki Tobi Commission of Inquiry’s reports speak volumes. Also, Justice Bola Ajibola’s Commission of Inquiry did the same. These are respected learned jurists of international repute.They laid bare the fact that unless the Hausa hegemonists and expansionists settlers accept the reality of their settler status, stop the futile claim over Jos and recognise the indigenes as the rightful owners of Jos and accord them their due respect and allow peace to flourish in Jos, all efforts at finding lasting peace and harmony will always fail. This is the grim reality facing Plateau state.
(Concluded)
•DSP Maichibi SM (rtd) 08033290489
