Christian Lawyers Accuses Federal, State Govt, Security Agencies Over Jos Killings -Urges Them Respect Human Lives
Yakubu Busari
The Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria, CLSFON, Jos Branch Chairman, Barr. Panmak Mark Lere has said that the extra Judicial killings of innocent Nigerian citizens are being perpetrated by the murderous groups of desperate Nigerian Army, the Joint Special Task Force, STF, Code Named Operation Safe Heaven as they condemned the culpable silence of the Plateau state and the federal government in the face of these man inhumanity to man and against the citizens of the country they have sworn in oaths to protect.
Lere stated this on Monday at the Nigeria Union Journalists, NUJ, secretariat Jos, speaking he said;
Plateau state as well as on the account of the events ranging from the attacks on Christian communities, abuses of human rights and extra judicial killings by the Nigeria army, that took place based on eye witness accounts and reports of victims of the events.
According to him, their report is the result of informed, careful and wide range of investigations, contacts, interview and enquiries from all the areas our sources were able to access given the security of their lives and the fact that it was put together almost immediately the conflict was settling.
He said; “our sources included victims of varying degree of violation and attacks ,eye witness ,community leaders ,and a wide range of persons in the society who have firsthand information on the events reported that occurred and which our investigation confirmed.
“we call on the federal and state government as a matter of urgent attention to do its best to safeguard the safety of lives and properties .in line with the mandate spelt out by the Constitution ,government must take proactive steps in order to ensure continuous spate of violence and needless waste of human lives is halted by arresting the criminal elements perpetrating the acts of violence and bring them to face the full wrath of the law,” Barr Lere lamented.
Lere said the Nigeria army in line with global practices should be humane, fair, unbiased and civil in its operations in line with Democratic tenets by respecting the fundamental rights of citizens guaranteed by constitution.
He disclosed further that Plateau state government should take steps to reach out to innocent victims of this crisis.
The government should compensate the victim’s and families of those killed in the crisis as well as pay the medical bills of those injured and restore the churches; homes and families properties destroy during the crisis.
Panmak Mark added that government should ensure that members of indigenous communities who have been sack by Fulani herdsmen and their lands taken over by the Fulani herdsmen are restored back to their communities.
He called on individual and group both within and outside plateau state who have spewing out hate speeches to instigate the Nigeria army against the Plateau people in general or some ethnic groups in particular must desist from making such irresponsible statements that doesn’t advance the cause of peace in Plateau state.
