Jos North that hosts Plateau State capital is in the news again as hoodlums and their blood thirsty sponsors took the once beautiful Tin city hostage hiding under the guise of ethnicity and religion despite the commendable efforts put-in-place by the state governor, Simon Bako Lalong.
To those of us that know what ignited the crisis from the beginning, we are not surprised that another round has erupted. We all know the primary intention that may remain an illusion till eternity because it can never be realized, and no matter the strategy applied by any of the warring factions.
If one may eventually ask, who has the capacity and courage to stop the madness on the Plateau? Who are those fanning the embers of hatred between Muslims and Christians and for what reason? Who started what looked like an ethnic cleansing exercise on the Plateau and discriminating theories? Who fired the first shot against the other? Were those responsible for past acts of gruesome murders, arrested and prosecuted or were set free by the powers that be? Does Plateau State need peace or it is comfortable with the security challenges it faces? Is the State Government ready to do the needful no matter whose ox may be gored for an ever lasting peace? These are few questions begging for answers.
The ongoing grisly and despicable killings, added to the highly disturbing massacre of about 500 Berom natives in Dogo Nahauwa a suburb of Jos on Sunday, March 7, 2010, the massacre of several innocent Hausa/Fulani in Kuru and Yelwan Shendam and those along the federal highway that passes through Berom communities, the gruesome murder of Gen. Alkali at Dura-Du by suspected Berom youth, and the recent murder of 23 innocent commuters at Rukuba road in Jos by suspected Irigwe youth and the killing of 25 innocent souls at Zangam Yelwa are few references for this discourse. We are not talking of the attempted cleansing in the various local governments in the state by suspected natives garbed in ethno-religious attires, allegedly supported by government of that time.
The crisis rocking the foundation of unity and cohesion in Plateau state seems to have reached a point of catastrophe and beyond solution. The state is paying dearly in all fronts. One wonders how Nigeria has turned into such a lawless country that evil now holds sway with impunity.
Plateau state crisis dates back to the administration of Joshua Chibi Dariye under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Insecurity was one of the recurring ugly decimals that marked and de-branded that administration at the state and at the centre. So the mega-merger that birthed All Progressives Congress (APC), latched on it to promise the much needed ‘change’ that, we are yet to witness since 2015.
The blood thirsty monster that has turned our beloved and only nation state into the killing fields of the African Continent courtesy of several factors that include; terrorism, ethno-religious sentiment, the restless rage of armed robbery, banditry and kidnapping for ransom has not relented. Instead it has bared its fangs worse than ever before in Nigeria’s chequered history.
For instance, in recent weeks major headlines assumed different disturbing tunes. Amongst these are; “Plateau Attack: Governor Lalong Imposes Curfew on Three LGAs”, “Gunmen suspected to be herders have again attacked Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing five persons, despite the imposed curfew”. “Over 20 travelers were killed by militiamen recently in Plateau State while returning to Ondo State from Bauchi where they attended an Islamic function”.
In response other headlines stated that: “Atiku Condemns Killings in Plateau”, “NGF condemns Plateau killings, calls for calm.” “Plateau Attacks: 20 Suspects Arrested As IGP Deploys Operatives To Protect Citizens”.
Although the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and other tribal organizations have denied any complicity in the latest attacks, warning that they should not always be linked to all attacks in the state, there are bitter lessons to learn from the series of killings over the years. The ones that have engulfed Plateau State since 2001 paint a parlous portrait of a country where the citizens’ lives mean little or nothing to those who swear by the constitution to protect lives and property.
For how long are we going to tolerate the crass absurdity of unmitigated murders in our country, Nigeria? Indeed, my continued outrage at the recurring bestial blood -letting on the Plateau since 2001 is predicated on the apparent impotence on the part of both the federal and state governments through the security agencies to rein in the monster of the orgy of violence.
As events have since proved not much has been achieved by those in the corridors of power to stem the tide of the unfortunate bloodbath. On August 29, 2011, 20 innocent persons were gruesomely murdered during the violence sparked at Anguwan Rukuba Road, Jos. Muslims had to celebrate their Eid-el-Fitr indoors as no one dared to visit the amusement park and other places of tourist attraction and interest including visits to friends and relatives. Yet, the worst case scenario was to follow later.
According to reports, some certain suspected herders went on rampage in Heipang near Jos on Sunday, September 4. 2011. By the time they were through, the family of one Chollom Gyang, including his wife Hannatu, six children and a four month old baby were sadly dispatched to their ancestors. And in a subsequent sweeping strike by unidentified gunmen suspected to be Berom militia, another family of eight, including a visitor were, hacked to hideous death at Foron village in Barikin Ladi local government area at about 1.00am on Friday, September, 9, 2011. It was the fourth of such beastly attacks in Plateau state within just a week!
If that was a decade ago, what do we make of the year 2021, with regards to the safety of the people on the Plateau? As if the vandalization of farmlands by suspected armed herders and cattle rustling by suspected natives and destruction of properties by ethno-religious jingoists were not enough and as if re-enacting a midnight horror film as the 10th Anniversary of the past tragedy, some assailants had attacked, Tafi Gana village on August 17. There they descended on their victims’ right in their sleep and posted them to their ancestors. And in another attack at Dong village, some gunmen also murdered a resident, a development confirmed by leader of the community. At Danwan of Ganawuri Chiefdom in Riyom local government area, in broad daylight, the residence of a prominent politician who served as a member of the Federal Executive Council in the Obasanjo administration was attacked and one of his police orderlies was murdered by suspected natives of neighboring community.
Similarly, it was confirmed that on Wednesday, August 18, there was an attack by unknown gunmen on an Irigwe community with five persons killed while four others were missing despite the imposed curfew on Bassa.
The vogue by the natives in times of crisis whose communities are located by the federal highways is to attack and murder innocent travelers in retaliation to attacks by either herders or their common enemies within them. Instead of reprisal action on perpetrators of earlier attacks on their community, they natives cowardly lay ambush to murder innocent travelers to please themselves.
Federal establishments located within Berom communities are not safe all the times. Without provocation or any unruly behavior towards them, those establishments are attacked with other ethnic groups targeted for murder based on ethnicity or religion. The natives forget the fact that those gruesomely murdered without reason, have relations elsewhere that can also be murderous in retaliation with time. For instance, the gruesome murder of Gen. Alkali by suspected Berom militia group whose only offence was traveling through Berom land as a free and independent citizen. He was stopped and murdered for the sake of his religion and tribe. Same murderers expect to live in peace without tasting the bitterness of their brutal action. That’s an illusion!
So, what is the way forward to the spate of killings not only in Plateau State but in several other areas across Nigeria such as Niger, Zamfara, Sokoto, Taraba, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Abuja FCT, Nasarawa etc? These apart from killings related to secessionist agitations in the Southeast and Southwest geo-political zones and the Boko Haram insurgency in parts of the Northeast.
Going forward, it has become imperative for the political leaders to demonstrate, more by actions than by words that they are there for the entire country, state or local council and not only for their ethnic nationalities or kith and kin. We must do away with king-servant relationship. No ethnic group or any part of the country, or state should be seen as superior to others.
Security operatives should do much more on intelligence information gathering, articulation, interpretation and taking proactive actions. That is, when and where it matters most. The pain in all of these is that most of these deaths were preventable.
It could be recalled that Mario Machungo, in his thought provoking lecture entitled: “Good Leadership Counts” presented at the 1999 Kampala, Uganda Conference for Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa (CSSDCA) focused on the imperative of strengthening internal security. He stated that the inter-related problems of security, stability and development must be solved through home grown methods.
This, dovetails to the need for the security architecture and apparatus to be made holistic to engender the trust in the people to see it as their own. With that they will be willing to divulge relevant information which the police should act on promptly without politicizing them. And with that in place, it would be easier for them to identify and mop up hundreds of thousands of small arms and ammunition hidden all over the country by prospective trouble shooters.
Besides, we should also do away with the persisting culture of impunity. The government should stop slapping perpetrators of evil with amnesty programs that insult the intelligence of their helpless victims. As Arewa Consultative Forum patriotically highlighted, this is the time to deal decisively with killers; to pay for their crimes against humanity instead of being cajoled by the powers that be. Only that would serve as a form of deterrence to others with similar evil inclinations.
Governor Lalong should not allow himself to be caught napping. There are several evil acclaimed religious leaders that should be arrested and prosecuted for using the pulpit to fan the embers of hatred. One of such clowns is one Isa El-Buba who claims to be a Priest that he is not going by his past known antecedents. A discreet investigation may expose his past as a disciple of the late devil, Muhammadu Marwa Maitatsine. El-Buba is a disaster in Plateau State that should be seriously monitored and disconnected. He has lost power after the defeat of the Jonah Jang sponsored gubernatorial candidate in 2015. He is lost midstream and now desperate to breach the peace for recognition and return of business as usual. Injustice breeds violence. There was act of justice in Plateau State as all were treated equally before the peace was disrupted by area boys in power. Joseph Gomwalk, Solomon Lar, Fidelis Tapgun were good and straight forward leaders that governed with respect to all. Simon Bako Lalong is doing his best for the return of lost glory but the beasts on the Plateau are not comfortable with that development. A stitch in time saves nine! I come in Peace!
Muhammad is a commentator on national issues
