Christian lawyers, others allege genocide in Plateau

MURIC wants sponsors of Berom killers brought to justice
Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria (CLASFON), Plateau State chapter, has alleged that residents are witnessing planned genocide to wipe out an entire community for a perceived offence.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Jos, the president, Mr. Arome Okwori, accused government and elders of the state of conspiracy of silence.

He asked the military to release those locals around the pond who were arrested in the course of their search-and-rescue operation, or risk legal action from CLASFON.

This was coming after the Association of Middle Belt Ethnic Nationalities (ASOMBEN) had condemned alleged occupation by the military of Dura Du community of Jos South Council while searching for Maj.-Gen. Idris Alkali (rtd).

According to ASOMBEN chairman, Sule Kwasau, the search was entirely unnecessary. “It is a brazen show of power. How can you force people to evacuate the comfort of their homes because of the fear of a repeat of Zaki-Biam and Odi?”

Kwasau, a former chairman of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Plateau chapter, who addressed stakeholders on Sunday evening in Jos, observed a missing link that people were not addressing.

However, Okwori submitted that the police should be deployed, given the necessary tools and allowed to work.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) yesterday charged the inspector-general of police (IGP) to ensure that justice was not only done but be seen to have been done in the case of missing Maj.-Gen. Idris Alkali (rtd).

This followed the presentation to newsmen in Jos and subsequent hand-over of the 13 suspects arrested in connection with the incident by the army last Wednesday.

Director of the group, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, in a statement, urged the police and other security agencies to dig deeper into the matter.

He added that sponsors of the killers must be identified, arrested and prosecuted, as the case goes beyond a murdered army general.

Commending the army for respecting the rule of law by handing over the suspects to the police, Akintola urged the police to speedily, diligently and meticulously prosecute the suspects.