The Federal and States Governments have been asked to pay compensation for loss of lives in the middle belt region. The call was made by the middle belt forum in Nigeria who insisted that the unprovoked attacks by Fulani herdsmen on villagers of the region must not go unpunished while calling for the arrest and prosecution of the culprits.

The group which is made up of collection of minority tribes in the region met under the umbrella of the middle belt forum to discuss issues affecting the area.

The Federal and States Governments have been asked to pay compensation for loss of lives in the middle belt region. The call was made by the middle belt forum in Nigeria who insisted that the unprovoked attacks by Fulani herdsmen on villagers of the region must not go unpunished while calling for the arrest and prosecution of the culprits.

The group which is made up of collection of minority tribes in the region met under the umbrella of the middle belt forum to discuss issues affecting the area.

A statement at the end of a conference on minority interest in Jos the Plateau state capital stated that it was the constitutional duty of the Federal Government of Nigeria to protest lives and properties of its citizens. The group uttered its displeasure at the failure of Government to curtail the continuous unprovoked killings and malicious destruction of property committed against citizens of the middle belt. It called on Government to live up to its responsibility to avoid a civil conflict.

Professor Turaki Yusufu who addressed the gathering on the political, psychological and social practices of the northern majority ethnic groups in comparison with ethnic minority of the middle belt traced the creation of the middle belt and its significance to the development of Nigeria.

The conference was later split into groups who discussed issues in the region ranging from the incessant attacks on citizens of the zone, the political relevance of the area, revival and revitalisation of the rich and diverse cultural heritage and values irrespective of religion and other values.

Middle belters and minority tribes from the north made up of Plateau, Benue, Kwara, Nassarawa, Taraba, Kogi, Adamawa, Niger, Kaduna, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno and Yobe States attended the ethnic minority conference.

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Middle belt group to FG – Compensate region for killings and destruction by herdsmen