By Lukman Olabiyi
The Coalition of Nigerian Regions (CNR) has condemned the continued killings of civilians in Plateau State and other regions across the country, attributing the violence to Fulani herdsmen, jihadists, and Boko Haram militants.
In a statement by its leadership: Opeoluwa G. Akinola (South West), Ikenna Obibi Egeonu (South-East), Emma Zopmal (North-Central) and Ejiro Ineniji (South-South), CNR expressed deep sorrow over the rising death toll and what it described as the systematic dispossession of indigenous lands.
Describing the attacks as a “ritual of bloodshed,” the coalition lamented the transformation of rivers into “rivers of blood” and communities into fields of mass graves.
The statement called attention to the ongoing climate of fear in the Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria, warning that the persistent violence has devastated agricultural activity, threatening food security in states such as Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Oyo, Enugu, and Ondo. Equally troubling, according to the CNR, is the “silent indifference” of the Nigerian government and its security agencies in the face of what they term a frightening infinitude of attacks.
While extending condolences to the families of those killed in the latest attacks in Plateau, Kwara, Oyo, and Benue states, the coalition declared that the massacres should be the final straw.
“There is a limit to how long our people can endure this,” the coalition warned.
Invoking recent calls for self-defense by prominent national figures, including DSS Director, Adeola Ajayi and former Minister of Defence Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, the CNR announced its intention to mobilize communities for local defense.
“Our people will no longer remain passive in the face of aggression, the formation of local vigilante groups and regional security outfits is now a priority to prevent further annihilation of communities by landless invaders”, the statement read.
The coalition concluded with a warning that Nigeria “can never become a workshop for Fulani marauders,” and called on all regions under its banner to prepare for self-defense as a fundamental right.