…Dogara condemns attacks
From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
Youths in Plateau under the aegis of the Coalition of Plateau State Indigenous Youths/Ethnic Nationalities have asked the military authorities to probe the activities of some soldiers deployed to Bokkos in the wake of the Christmas Eve attack in three local government areas of the state.
Addressing newsmen on Saturday in Jos, the youths accused the Commander of the Operation Safe Haven posted to Sector 5 of “giving cover and aiding the killing by the Fulani militias on the claim that the military operation is to protect the minority as claimed by him.”
In the text of the briefing jointly signed by the Chairman, Paul J. Dekete, and Secretary, Amb Duwam Bosco, the youths said: “Eye witnesses from communities affected also accused men under Lt Col T.T Pave’s command of arresting and killing locals as seen in the case of late Mr. Samuel Longleng who was confronted and fired at will by men under his command at Garah-Kawel, of Mushere district of Bokkos LGA among other cases, while arrested Fulani were released within the shortest possible time.”
The coalition accused the Fulani militias of deliberate attempts to prevent victims from returning to their ancestral lands/homes by looting their properties and food items and, called on the government to take necessary action aimed at stopping the looting of properties of victims/displaced persons.
The coalition also accused soldiers under his command of harsh molestation of victims of the crisis.
Recounting the horrors of those three days, Dekete said: “So far, statistics show that more than 200 locals were killed in Bokkos alone. Over 1,290 houses and 81 cars were burnt while 19,995 persons were displaced.”
He said that the displaced persons were taking refuge at the mini stadium in Bokkos, apart from those who had fled to their relatives in other part of the state.
“Information at the coalition’s disposal indicate that some armed Fulani are been hosted at Maling (Angwan Hausawa). We are calling on security agents to search and disarm them, to avoid future attacks and killing of innocent citizens.”
The youths also called for the creation North Central Development Commission in view of the wanton destruction of lives and properties in Plateau State and across the North Central region.
The coalition also called on all Plateau communities to respectively develop self-defense mechanism in order to survive the ongoing hostilities and genocidal mission declared by the bandits and other terrorist elements ravaging the state.
They also resolved that any (further) attack on either of the ethnic groups/nationalities in the state shall be responded to appropriately irrespective of where it happened.
Meanwhile former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has condemned the attack and called on President Bola Tinubu to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Speaking during a solidarity visit to the Governor of Plateau State, Barr Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, at his residence in Jos on Saturday, Dogara described Plateau people as peaceful, accommodating and hospitable, who do not deserve the dehumanising and unholy acts inflicted on them.
He called for a holistic approach by all citizens across all faiths to halt banditry, terrorism and criminal activities in all parts of the country.
“The perpetrators of this violent act are not just crazy, but they are dangerous. The truth is that they will not stop until we stop them; the Commander in Chief has the responsibility of stopping them.
“We must use the cohesive apparatus that we have to locate these people and their sponsors, scattered all over the ungoverned spaces that we have in Nigeria, whether in the Plateau, Nasarawa, Southern Kaduna, Zamfara or the North East or the South.”