Gyang Bere, Jos
Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State has warned residents who are piling up arms and ammunition for fight during the 2019 general elections to submit them to the security agencies for pardon.
He said the locations in which those arms are been stock in the state are known to security and advised the people to refrain from such devilish act or the security will burst their hide outs for arrest.
Lalong disclosed this on Tuesday during an interactive session with Journalists on the three years achievement of his administration at the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ Press Centre Jos, Plateau State.
“We have not been able to conduct local government elections because of the advised of State Security Council which said that some people are piling up arms in the state for fight during the Local Government election and 2019 elections.
“We know those areas and even when the Local Government election was postponed by Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC), the killings was still going on in some communities.
“I want to warn those who are frustrating government’s effort in conducting election to desist now because they will be arrested and send to where they don’t want to go.”
He advised Plateau residents to handover arms and ammunition in their disposal to security agencies before they are arrested and charge for illegal possession of fire arms.
Lalong who is among the seven Governors that were inaugurated to tackle the issue of herdsmen killing in the country, said Federal Government has made appreciating effort to stop the herdsmen/farmers clashes.
“We have taken an appropriate action to stop killings in the rural communities of Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Zamfara and other states in the north. The Federal Government has given an order to mob up arms and ammunition from the hands of evil people to enable displaced people go back to their ancestral homes where they are sacked.”
He said government is taken drastic action in Plateau to rebuild villages that were destroyed during the crisis and ensure adequate security for farmers to return to their farms without further harassment.
Lalong, who raised concern on the looming food scarcity in the country explained that he is parts of the committee set up by Federal Government to tackle fears of food scarcity, saying they are making effort with the Federal Government to relocate displaced farmers to their places of origin.
“Federal Government has started paying compensation and rebuilding places that were destroyed as a result of insecurity we understand that it is only when farmer are relocated from IDPs camps to their various communities for farming that the nation will escape food scarcity.
“That was why Federal Government has started releasing fund to affected states for rehabilitation, monies has been released to Benue and other affected states will follow in that direction.”