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From Jude Dangwam, Jos
An apex Fulani professional group in Africa, under the umbrella of Coalition of Fulbe Professionals in Africa (COFPIA), has condemned Saturday’s gruesome killing of one of its leaders, Ardo Adamu Idris Gabdo, in Panyam village of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, and described the dastardly act as barbaric, senseless, and unwarranted.
The group commended the military outfit in the state, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), for prompt response to the area, thereby preventing escalation and possible reprisals. It, however, appealed to kinsmen across the country to remain calm as security agencies had begun a manhunt for the perpetrators.
In the statement signed by its national President, Mallam Mohammed Gidado Tilde, COFPIA described the killing as provoking.
The statement reads in path: “The Coalition of Fulbe Professionals in Africa (COFPIA) is saddened by the gruesome killing of one of the respected custodians of our culture, Ardo Adamu Idris Gabdo, the Ardo of Panyam Community in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, yesterday, Saturday, September 23, 2023, without any provocation.
“The Ardo, who had returned to the community after several peace-building efforts by security agencies, especially Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) and other stakeholders in the area, which led to relative peace, was brutally murdered after attending further peace meetings with some local community leaders in the area, by some suspected criminals.”
The body noted that as a regional regulating umbrella body of Fulani groups in Africa, they condemned in the strongest possible terms the barbaric, senseless and unwarranted killing aimed at provoking ethnic tension not just in Plateau, but also in Nigeria and African subregion in general.
“The action of these mindless and criminal elements is a setback to the peace already achieved by all in the locality. As difficult as it is to take lightly, we are consoled by the deliberate steps initiated by security agencies, especially OPSH, to track down the perpetrators whose intention was to cause ethnic tension in the state.
“So far, we are satisfied with the deliberate and pragmatic steps the security agencies have taken to track down the criminals wherever they are,” the president noted.
Mallam Tilde further said given the zeal of the security agencies, coupled with reports from their Mangu chapter, they are satisfied that the criminals will be brought to book in no time.
“It is on this premise that we passionately appeal to our brothers, Fulani in Mangu, Plateau in particular, and Nigeria at large, who are pained by this dastardly act, to remain calm, have total faith in the security agencies and allow them to do their work. Nobody should take the law into his hands as the killing of our Ardo is a clear action of some few criminal elements in the locality and not that of the community as a whole.
“We must view this action as purely criminal that should have no place in our society. We kindly appeal to our kinsmen to forgive and work closely with the security agencies to unravel the true identity of the criminals involved. It is therefore our position that we rise above this pain by not taking laws into our hands,” Tilde posited.
