Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
Barely three days after the burial of Rev. Fr. David Tanko who was gruesomely murdered by armed men, the Catholic Diocese of Jalingo has raised the alarm over plans to attack communities in Zing Local Government Area of the state by suspected killer herdsmen.
The Chairman of the Diocesan Laity Council Mr. Edward Tatah disclosed this at a press briefing in Jalingo on Saturday, saying that it had become expedient to raise the alarm on time, drawing lessons from previous experiences where such planned attacks were ignored as a mere rumour at a regrettably great cost to human lives and property.
Tatah said: “Gentlemen, you are aware that recent attacks on some Kona villages by armed herdsmen left over seventy persons dead, over two hundred injured and thousands displaced with their homes, farms and other property destroyed. As we speak, their farms have become grazing grounds for the marauding herdsmen. We heard about the plans for these attacks but took them for granted and we paid dearly for it with the lives of our loved ones.
“Presently, there are strong speculations the next place where they will launch attacks is Zing local government area and its environs. We cannot afford to regard this information as mere rumour any longer, lest the armed militia takes us unawares again. It is clear that the killer herdsmen have an agenda that they want to execute at all cost. We, therefore, use this platform to urge the security agencies to take proactive measures to forestall this evil from befalling us again.
“In the light of the numerous security challenges, the Council recommends the creation of Peace and Conflict Resolution Commission to be saddled with the responsibility of promoting peace and resolving conflicts in the state. The council so recommend that a strong and urgent security arrangement should be put in place to enable the displaced persons to return to their villages and their homes as soon as possible so that they can begin to put the pieces of their lives together”.