Gyang Bere, Jos
Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong says that the peace and stability of the state is under threat by some forces determined to take the state back to the crises of the past.
Lalong disclosed this in a state broadcast on Friday, while urging residents to be security-conscious and report suspicious movements around their communities to security operatives for prompt action.
The Governor recalled, in a statement through Commissioner for Information and Communication Yakubu Dati, that armed men recently attacked some communities in Bassa and Bokkos LGAs, leading to the destruction of lives and properties.
“As a responsible government that shares in the plight of its citizens, we condemn in the strongest possible terms the resurgence of violent attacks in some of our communities and wish to commiserates with the families of those who had lost their dear ones,” he said.
He gave the assurance that his administration will offer necessary support to those who sustained varying degrees of injuries to overcome their losses, and prayed for the repose of the souls of those who have lost their lives in the renewed round of violence.
Governor Lalong also prayed God to assuage the anguish of those who have lost loved ones, as he committed his administration to the task of delivering on its promise to maintain peace and security as contained in the government’s “Five Policy Thrust.”
National President, Irigwe Development Association, Sunday Abdu, called for the proscription of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), the cattle breeders interest group, as a terrorist organisation, calling for the arrest the Plateau State chairman.
Twenty five persons were killed by the Fulani last week Wednesday by the Fulani, Abdu said, the day they were planning to bury four youths ambushed and killed in their home by suspected Fulani herders.
“The solution is simple,” he said. “Arrest leaders of MACBAN and these killings will stop. We will like to reiterate for the umpteenth time, Irigwe land does not have militia, even though with the way these things keep happening, it would not be a totally bad idea to start thinking of a way to secure our land from the herdsmen’s siege.
“We want to debunk claims by the MIYETTI ALLAH killer group that our people cross over to other territories to strike. Again, this is the desperate attempt of a satanic group to ignite ethnic hatred between peaceful communities of Plateau and Southern Kaduna.
“You are aware that we buried twenty five people on the day we had set out to bury four out of the five that were killed on the night of the President’s visit to the state. This is in addition to the ones we have buried from a series of attacks since January, not to mention the number of homes we have lost from such attacks and the destruction of farmlands which has ensured a looming hunger,” he said.