Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Plateau State have called for the creation of a North Central Development Commission to address the devastation caused by decades of internecine communal conflicts in the geopolitical zone.
Even as the Transition Committee chairmen of the 17 local government areas in Plateau State have condemned the Christmas Eve attack on three local government areas of the state.
Addressing newsmen in Jos, Plateau State, the Chairman of the Plateau CSOs forum, Rev Chris Damcher, said that the incessant killings and burning of properties have taken a significant toll on the lives and economy of the region, necessitating concerted efforts to find a solution.
Rev Damcher expressed dismay that the killings in Plateau, which started on September 7, 2001, have since grown into a massacre and a barbaric act of violence cowardly engineered, countering every known attitude of a normal human being who believes in the sanctity of human life.
“The people of the state woke up to the sad news of another spate of unprovoked and unprecedented attacks on innocent community dwellers in Bokkos, Mangu, and Barkin-Ladi LGAs on Christmas Eve and Christmas day (24th and 25th of December 2023).
“The attack left hundreds dead, several injured, with properties destroyed. The act is not only barbaric and devastating but also scary. This is very sad, unfortunate, and unacceptable by any standard. It is an act of cowardice and outright wickedness to surround and kill innocent and harmless people in their sleep without any provocation,” he said.
The CSOs bemoaned the inability of security agents to take advantage of early warning signals, adding that for most of the attacks on communities, there are often early warning security alerts circulated on social media.
“We are fully convinced that such information usually gets to the security agencies and relevant authorities, but we are so worried and saddened that each time such planned attacks by the same so-called Fulani militia are circulated, their plans are usually executed to a high percentage unabated.
“What is really disturbing at this juncture is that there is hardly or never a proactive measure(s) by the security operatives to counter the early warnings circulated nor intercept the attackers in the act.
“The early warnings are often not mere social media assertions, as most are often taken, so dismissed by those who have the mandate to respond to such information.
“These incessant attacks have huge impacts on the formal education of the children, create an increase in the number of vulnerable children, loss of breadwinners giving rise to child-headed households, compromised healthcare, threatened food security, loss of the source of livelihood (mostly farming and mining), lowered quality of life, and loss of housing, among other issues.”
Meanwhile, the Transition Committee chairmen of the 17 local government areas have condemned the Christmas Eve attack on three local government areas of the state.
Addressing newsmen at the Press Centre on Friday, under the auspices of the Association of Local Government (ALGON), they lamented the renewed attacks across these communities, especially on the eve of Christmas, as a monumental tragedy and loss to the great people of Plateau State, calling for united efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible for these heinous acts.
The chairmen, represented by the Transition Committee chairman Wase and Plateau State ALGON Chairman, Hamisu Anani, commended the steps taken by Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting the Nigerian Army in maintaining security.
They also commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, and the Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, for their commitment to addressing various security challenges facing Plateau, as well as the rapid response visit of the Vice President Kashim Shettima and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to the affected areas on the Plateau.
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