CSOs Decry How Foreign  Fulani Militias Occupying Hills In Plateau State Threaten Natives

Yakubu Busari

The Plateau Civil Society Organizations Forum,(CSOs), Over the Incessant Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing  Plateau Rev Chris Damcher, the Chairman, of Plateau CSOs Forum has decried that Fulani militias group have taken over  Plateau settlements where herders are now occupying the footage of the hills all around the Northern and parts of the Central Zones of Plateau State.

The spokesperson stated during a world press conference held at NUJ,Plateau State Council on Friday in Jos, that the original owners of the lands have been displaced to the Internally Displaced Person Camps (IDPs) and other host communities where they are out of touch with economic realities.

The group cautioned that the Yuletide season is one of the significantly celebrated festivals in Plateau State, Nationally and Globally. Unfortunately, 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 (24 and 25′ of December 2023).

According to statement ,” 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.

“The Plateau Civil Society Organizations Forum hereby extend our sincere condolences to the government, families and traditional heads of affected communities over the unfortunate and irreparable loss and pray that the souls of the departed rest in peace ,”he said .

Rev.Chris disclosed that the killings in Plateau started since 7 September 2001, it has since grown into a massacre, and a barbaric act of violence cowardly engineered which counter every known attitude of a normal human being, who believes in the sanctity of human life.

He maintains that  it is common with most of the attacks meted on communities, there is most often early warning security alerts circulated on the 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 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 often taken, so dismissed by those who have the mandate to respond to such information.

It is no longer news that the attackers are not only after the lives of the community dwellers but truly their ancestral and God given lands to occupy.

From our observation and what is glaringly taking place on the Plateau is the sprouting of strange new Fulani settlements and herders at the footage of the hills all around the Northern and parts of the Central Zones of Plateau State. Meanwhile, the original owners of the lands have been displaced to the Internally Displaced Person Camps (IDPs) and other host communities where they are out of touch with economic realities.

Chris said the lands are being taken over and there is no government and traditional institutions fighting or promoting the returning of the IDPs to their ancestral land, while the grabbers are moving around freely and molesting citizens.

However , the under  spot assessment as at now, our records are that thirty (30) communities were attacked, two hundred and ninety five (295) dead, ninety eight (98) injured and hospitalised, one thousand three hundred houses burnt(1,300), two hundred and Rev. Chris Damcher – President | O. J. Afwanks – Vice President | Mrs. Raulatu M. Piwuna (PhD) – Secretary Mrs Anna Kisaba Treasurer | Nanmak D. Bali – PRO  twenty seven (227) motorcycles burnt, unquantified looting of food stuff and other  items and thousands of persons displaced.

The feedback from survivors of the attack said that their attackers are Fulani speaking,  looking and dressed and so therefore they are not unknown gunmen, nor herders- farmers’ clash, assailants or armed bandits as being reported by some.

The Fulani herders that we know and have been in Plateau State for several years do  not have the capacity to confront their host communities whom they have co habited  with for decades.

It is therefore, obvious that there are sponsors of these acts of criminality and  inhumane action on the peace loving people of Plateau State.

These incessant attacks have huge impacts on the formal education of the children, creates an increase on number of vulnerable children, loss of breadwinners giving rise  to child headed households, healthcare is compromised, food security is greatly  threatened, loss of source of livelihood (mostly farming and mining), lowered quality  of life and loss of housing amongst other issues.

This action is highly condemnable and calls for accelerated actions to end these circles  of attacks on innocent, unsuspecting and peace-loving citizens.

We therefore recommend that the government, at federal, State and Local levels  should avoid selective response to alarms and tip-offs of a possible attack, they should  give a rapid response to distress calls and there should be a reconstitution of the  security body saddled with the responsibility of responding to these attacks.

We suggest the security should be a combined squad of the Military, Mobile Police, and  Civil defence.

The Traditional Rulers, Religious Leaders and Stakeholders of all communities should  have community police to compliment the conventional security forces, report and  investigate presence of strangers, the raising of structures, bringing to relevant  authorities all criminals within the community. All community stakeholders should  sensitise and create awareness on early warning response to issues of insecurity.

All necessary measures should be put in place for citizenry to get back to ancestral  land and not remain in IDP camps or migrate to neighbouring communities. Government should be more proactive in response to sending immediate relief to  affected communities.

we call on the state government and legislators at the state and national level  to revisit the establishment of the North Central Development Commission that would  facilitate the rehabilitation, reconstruction and resettlement of IDPs to their ancestral  lands.

We want to caution on the sharing/spreading of unconfirmed stories and or  videos, images in conflict situations as this undermines the gravity of the situation.

In conclusion, we ask that the State Government, the newly constituted Plateau Elders  Forum, all critical stakeholders should please come together more often to work out  ways of ending this heinous crime against humanity.