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•Defend yourselves, Rep tells constituents
Gunmen have killed eight villagers at Farin Lamba community in Vwang District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
National Publicity Secretary, Berom Youth Movement (BYM), a socio-cultural group, Rwang Tengwong, who made the disclosure in a statement, yesterday, in Jos, said the criminals invaded the community on Sunday night.
“The gunmen invaded the village at about 9:45pm, on Sunday, in a car, and shot sporadically at the victims. Eight people were killed, including an eight-month-old baby. The minor was killed alongside the father; they were returning from the hospital,” he said.
Tengwong decried the spate of killings in several communities in Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Jos South and Mangu local government areas, adding that the trend has led to massive destruction of farmlands, houses and other properties.
Tengwong, who commended the proactive steps put in place by the Commander of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Maj.-Gen. Abdusalam Abubakar, expressed confidence that lasting peace would soon return to all troubled areas in the state.
He, particularly, commended the Federal and State governments for deploying mobile police personnel to communities under frequent attacks.
He called Plateau residents to be law abiding and support security agencies in their bid towards entrenching lasting peace in the state.
Public Relations Officer of the Police Command in Plateau, Mr Alfred Alabo, did not pick several calls to his line, but a top police officer confirmed the attack.
Meanwhile, a member of the House of Representatives, Dachung Bagos, has urged his constituents to defend themselves against violent attacks.
In a statement issued yesterday, the legislator representing Jos south/Jos north federal constituency of Plateau, condemned the killing of over 19 people and the burning of several houses and properties in Mangu LGA of the state by bandits last weekend. Bagos lamented that residents in his constituency were being “killed daily” by bandits, adding that they should “rise and defend themselves against incessant attacks”. He said the provisions of the 1999 constitution give citizens the right to “self-defence and the right to exercise it”.
“Sadly, innocent citizens are being attacked and killed on a daily basis in Plateau State, particularly in Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Mangu. Hundreds have lost their lives since May 2023, and villagers can’t go to the farm.
Several displaced persons camps and lands were taken over, and farmlands destroyed. What a wicked world!
“Just on Saturday, 12 people were killed in Mangu and, also, yesterday night, seven of my constituents, who are miners, were targeted and gunned down.
“This is sad, barbaric and condemned,” he said.
The legislator listed those killed to include — Ishaya David, 25; Paul Dangyuruk, 23; Davou Boyi, 40; Joseph John, 39; Timothy Peter, 35; and Bitrus Dantou — all in Turu, Jos south LGA.
He said: “Most of my constituents now live in fear of bandits and the attacks are now daily. In the face of this kind of breakdown in the will and capacity of the government to protect the people and their communities, law-abiding citizens must organise to protect themselves. The point here is when the government fails in its constitutional role to protect its people, citizens have a legitimate duty in law and morality to ensure the continuity of human life.”
The lawmaker cited section 33(2)(a) of the constitution, saying the law makes self-defence lawful when undertaken in defence of unlawful violence or for the defence of property.
“I want to call on all Plateau citizens to be alert and defend themselves against attackers, and all Plateau State citizens must unite to defend the land. We are peaceful people, but our inheritance, which is our land, will never be taken by force,” he said.
