End Plateau killings now, North Central governors, Mark tell FG

• N/Central govs donate N100m to victims, plan security, economic summit
• Plateau declares one week of mourning
• CDS confirms arrests, vows to reclaim captured communities
• Insecurity: Group seeks liberalisation of arms licensing 

Governors of the six North Central states, yesterday, lamented the attacks and recent killings in Plateau State by gunmen. Chairman of the North Central Governors’ Forum and governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, who spoke when he led his colleagues on a condolence visit to the governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, at the Rayfield Government House in Jos, described the killings as unacceptable.

Recall that on Christmas eve, gunmen attacked 25 communities in three local government areas of Plateau – Barkin Ladi, Bokkos, and Mangu – and killed over 200 persons.

Sule noted that the attacks had persisted for too long and insisted that the Federal Government must get to the roots of the problem and find a lasting solution.

Addressing Mutfwang, the forum’s chairman said: “We are here to share with you whatever situation you find yourself in. I was here on a similar sad note, together with our delegation from Nasarawa when it happened during the period of your predecessor.

“During the period, we asked specifically for the religious leaders to be the ones in majority, because we wanted to talk directly with them about the need to continue to preach peace to our people.”

Sule, who called on the Federal Government to get to the root of the lingering killings with a view to finding a lasting solution, added: “We have seen a similar situation in Rwanda because I won’t call what is happening in Plateau farmers-herders crisis, it is not.

“We have seen what happened in Rwanda and luckily, all the four of us governors were there, and we listened to the President of Rwanda when he told us the courage that he took to invite everybody that is involved and look at the causes.

“We cannot allow a few people, for selfish reasons, to come in and destroy all of us. This is not about Fulani. It is about criminals. And we are asking the Federal Government to assist us and deal with the problem.”

Governors that were physically present included Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa) and Umaru Bago (Niger). Governors Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq (Kwara) were absent, and no reason was given. During the visit, they donated N100 million on behalf of the region’s governors.

Continuing, Sule said: “The North Central governors are united, and we are eager to ensure that we make an impact in our various states and the region. We are planning a security and economic summit; we have met a few times to discuss this partnership in the areas of agriculture, mining, and infrastructure.”

Alia added: “As a people, we must unite in the fight against terrorists who are disrupting the peace in the North-Central states. Since the problem of incessant unprovoked attacks on farming communities has become common in the region, there is every need for a united strategy, willpower, and border control to checkmate the menace.”

Mutfwang reaffirmed his dedication to collaborating with his counterparts in the region to promote peace, unity, and substantial development, and he expressed gratitude for the support the state is receiving.

He emphasised the North Central’s significance as a cohesive force in the nation, highlighted the region’s abundant natural resources, stating their potential benefits for the entire nation, and called for united efforts to combat armed banditry, terrorism, and criminal activities prevalent in the region.

Similarly, former Senate President, Senator David Mark, has called on the Federal Government to end the bloodshed in Plateau. He also urged the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to consider a review of the security architecture with a view to making it more proactive and strategic towards addressing the un-abating insecurity challenges.

Mark, in a statement by his media adviser, Paul Mumeh, explained that a review will identify the loopholes and devise a means to end the blood-shedding.

He said: “It will not be out of place to declare an emergency on security. Any step taken to end the continued killing of citizens will be worth the trouble.”

Meanwhile, the Plateau governor has declared a one-week of mourning over the recent attacks. While declaring the one-week mourning period, Mutfwang told residents of the state that flags will be flying at half-mast during the period.

“As a mark of honour for the memory of the deceased, I wish to declare a week of mourning from January 1 to January 8. During this period of mourning, flags will fly at half-mast,” he said in a New Year broadcast.
“I urge all citizens to use these days for intense prayers to seek the intervention of the Almighty God in defending our territories against wicked men that have risen against us.”

The governor also called on religious leaders to offer special prayers for peace in the troubled state. “I wish to plead with our Muslim clerics to dedicate Friday, January 5, and our Christian clergy to use Sunday, January 7, as special prayer days for lasting peace to return to Plateau,” the governor added.

“Monday, January 8, will be observed as our official state day of mourning.”

In the aftermath of the Plateau massacre, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, has confirmed that the military has made significant progress in capturing suspects linked to the attacks.

Musa made the announcement during a televised interview on Channels TV, assuring the public that efforts were ongoing to track down all individuals involved in the heinous act.

The CDS also disclosed that the military is collaborating with state governments to identify areas captured by terrorists across the country, with the objective of reclaiming them. He expressed determination to ensure that bandits hold no community in the New Year.

Addressing concerns about the military’s response time, Gen Musa acknowledged the vastness of the affected area and clarified, “We cannot be everywhere.”

He said efforts were underway to enhance reaction times and prevent future incidents.

He identified a lack of political will at all levels of government as a significant hurdle in resolving the prevailing insecurity in the country, stressing that political decisions were crucial to overcoming challenges and that the military’s effectiveness depended on strong support and directives from the political class.

“The military can only do so much; it is a political decision, not a military decision on what is to be done,” Gen Musa concluded.

To prevent large-scale kidnapping, serial mass killings and genocidal killings by armed non-state actors, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, has been asked to support private ownership of arms.

Civil rights group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), faulted Lagbaja for opposing private ownership of military grade weapons. The group also supported the advocacy for liberal gun licensing regime to stave off the continuous killings of citizens.

HURIWA said that even the state of natural law permits individuals to legitimately take up strategic means and ways to remain alive because the moment a human being is killed, he/she has no fighting chance of obtaining a remedy.

Countering the position of Lagbaja, the rights group referred to the United States of America and other jurisdictions whereby liberal gun licensing permissions exist.

The group’s national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said that American citizens have the fundamental right to own guns, which is the world’s most advanced democracy and highly organised. In Nigeria, only rogues and terrorists are allowed to bear sophisticated weaponry, which is worse than anarchy.

“The excuse that if private ownership of guns is allowed in Nigeria that there will be anarchy as narrated by Lagbaja is lame, untenable and vacuous because the right to life is constitutionally guaranteed.