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Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN), an umbrella body of all the ethnic nationalities numbering over 53 in Plateau State has called on President Muhammadu Buhari
to overhaul the security architecture of the country over the wanton killings of over 200 persons in the state by suspected Fulani militias.
PIDAN is also set to drag the Federal Government to the International Criminal Court of Justice (ICCJ), noting that an injustice done to a tribe is an injustice done to the entire Plateau people.
It has also demanded an overhaul of the nation’s security architecture, noting that if by Amnesty International (AI) report, the attackers operated freely for seven hours without security intervention, then the security agencies have lived below expectation, hence they should be overhauled.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of PIDAN, Dr. Aboi Madaki, while addressing journalists in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Aboi added that he was aware that the North Central Youth Assembly had sent one petition to ICCJ, but added that, “There is nothing bad if we add our petition too.”
He also said that there was a total of 219 deaths recorded in the crisis.
“Of this number, 133,000 persons were displaced in Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local Government Areas, while another 11,164 others were displaced in the other local governments affected by the crisis, making a total of 144,164 displaced persons spread across ten IDP camps in the state.”
He added that, “The recent attacks involving more than 11 villages and claiming over 200 lives clearly showed that Plateau is under siege; these systematic attacks and killings of innocent citizens of the state has been on for a long time, but became intensified in the months of May and June, 2018.
“Analysis of previous attacks has shown that such are usually guerrilla and ambush in nature with guns and machetes. About 97 per cent of attacks usually remained un-repelled and in 96 per cent of cases, no arrest is made.
“In the June attacks, houses and property in 15 villages from the four Local Government Areas of Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Jos South and Mangu were destroyed, leaving scores of people homeless and a large number of farm crops destroyed. As we talk to you at this moment, there are many wounded and injured people in various medical facilities within and outside the state, receiving medical attention.
“We condemn in strong terms, these attacks on innocent and defenseless persons in communities and consider such dastardly acts as callous, barbaric and inhuman. We wish to state that we shall no longer condone such unprovoked attacks, for an attack on any community will be an attack on all the people of the Plateau State.
“We take exception to the statement credited to the spokesperson of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) that ‘the killings were reprisals following the disappearance of 5 of their members and several cow rustling incidences in Barkin Ladi area. We are equally aware of the utterances of some Fulani leaders in the state on the aftermath of the killings, where they corroborated the statement that the killings were retaliatory and will continue.
“It is unfortunate that those credited with war tuned statements are still working freely in the streets without being arrested. We call on the security agencies to investigate the leadership of MACBAN and those found guilty of this heinous crime be prosecuted.”
PIDAN noted that, “Amnesty International Nigeria Press Release of 28-06-18 reported that the last attacks on 11 villages in Plateau State went on for 7 hours, killing about 200 people without intervention from the security forces. This is a clear testimony of the poor and inefficient response to conflict situations in the state by the current security architecture.
“This is not acceptable. We call on both the State and Federal Governments to review the security architecture and reposition the security system to allow it to respond to early warning within 10 minutes in line with global best practice.
“The repositioned system should allow the Chief Security officer of the state have the power to draw on the security operatives in the early phase of any attack without making recourse to the President of the Federal Republic. This arrangement will certainly reduce the level of loss of lives and property in future events.
“The reviewed system should also make available more police posts at the village level as well as strengthen the village-level vigilante system to work effectively towards enhanced community policing thereby improving security at the community level.
“It is pertinent to note that the constitution places all security matters under the presidency. This situation has left many state Governors, as chief security officers of their states, without power to immediately stop any crisis. This we believe has placed enormous restrains on our Governor’s efforts in addressing the spate of attacks in the states.
“We call on our members in the Senate and House of Representatives to liaise with their colleagues in similar high risk states and sponsor a bill that will grant more powers to governors to enable them draw on security operatives to wade off attacks in high risk or conflict zones within the shortest possible time.
“We are however of the view that additional strategies towards finding permanent solutions should be sought. As earlier stated, Government must be bold enough to arrest all those involved and prosecute them immediately,” Madaki added.
The group also observed that at many sites of attacks, there have been reports of the use of sophisticated weapons which have been described as the type of weapons associated with terrorist attacks.
“In the light of this observation, we wish to urge the Government and its security operatives to conduct a thorough search of all the Fulani settlements in the state with the view to arresting those with weapons of mass killings and those found to be unknown or foreign to the conflict areas and settlements. It is also pertinent to point out that security operatives should also search the 52 sacked communities and their adjacent hills for both weapons and strangers to the conflict areas in the state.”
“The incessant attacks on the Plateau, the large number of casualties, the destruction of property and the high number of displaced persons including orphans have brought Plateau to a state of high humanitarian crisis.
“There is the urgent need for international and national relief agencies to come and assist the State Government and the communities in managing this disaster. Unfortunately, Plateau State is not part of the North-East Commission. We wish to call on the Federal Government to redirect the attention of the international relief organisations to Plateau State to assist with the management of the crisis.
“We wish to acknowledge the request by the State Government for the establishment of a Mobile Police outpost in Gashish village of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the State, and we are of the view that given the magnitude of the firepower these suspected herdsmen have, additional mobile barracks should be stationed in Barkin Ladi town and another one close to the NYSC Orientation camp along the border of Mangu and Barkin Ladi local Government Areas.”
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