From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Federal lawmaker Dachung Bagos (PDP – Jos South/Jos East) has blamed the killings in Jos on lack of political will by the government to bring perpetrators to book.
Bagos, who stated this while briefing reporters in Abuja on Tuesday on the killings in Plateau, also decried the alleged lack of political will by the government to tackle the situation head-on.
He noted that there is a need for justice for victims of the killings, in order to bring the ugly situation to a stop.
The lawmaker noted that it is worrisome that gunmen, who are labelled as unknown, would invade communities, kill at will, yet the government would curiously engage known persons to sign peace pacts.
According to him, ‘if people could be identified at such point to sign peace pacts, why is nobody being tried or taken to jail? As long as the perpetrators are not brought to book, they will continue to remain as unknown gunmen.
‘We need justice on the Plateau. We need our lands back, so whosoever is signing peace pacts on behalf of the attackers should be asked to produce the unknown gunmen.’
Bagos accused the security agencies of turning against community youths, who are out to defend themselves from the killers, stating that such action has subjected the victims to double jeopardy.
The lawmaker, while calling for the establishment of state police, as part of efforts, to curb the incessant killings in the Plateau, said the command structure of the federal police is cumbersome and ineffective for quick response to security challenges.