Plateau killings -Gov Lalong,s quest to provide succour for IDPs

Plateau killings -Gov Lalong,s quest to provide succour for IDPsPlateau state was thrown into mourning about a month ago when over a hundred Persons were killed in some communities in Barkin Ladi local government area of the state when unknown gunmen suspected to be herdsmen stormed the communities and started shooting sporadically.

Our correspondent also reports that several persons were displaced as a result of the unfortunate killings .

This killings angered the State governor Simon Lalong and other stakeholders ,who raised their voices condemning the killings calling on security operatives to ensure that the culprits are brought to book and prosecuted .

Lalong who lamented the spate of killings vowed to ensure that the culprits must be arrested and brought to book .

He also warned that his administration would no tolerate land grabbing in any part of the Plateau.

According to Governor Lalong, those fighting, killing people and destroying their settlements with the intention of taking ownership of such places would not be allowed to do so.

“If you think you can chase people out and grab their land, we as a government would not allow you to own the land,’ he said, adding that his administration was working out modalities to prosecute land grabbers, to discourage the act,” he said.

He appealed to the Federal Government to provide materials and funds to enhance the return of displaced persons back to their homeland.

Lalong also visited the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) to commiserate with the victims of the recent crisis in the state who were receiving treatment at the hospital.

Already more arrest of suspects have been made as the Special Military Task Force deployed to restore Law and order in Plateau ,Bauchi and Southern Kaduna code named “Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) has said it has arrested seven additional suspects in connection with attacks in Barkin Ladi and Riyom local governments of the state on the 23rd of June 2018.

While parading the suspects at the command headquarters Jos on Tuesday , Brigadier General John Agie who is the acting director defense Information from Defense Headquarters Abuja informed journalists that “l came in from Abuja in continuation of our intelligence gathering and intensive investigation over what happened in the state last month.

Our troops are still after those who are involved in the attacks on the 23rd of June, and that led to the arrest of two suspects. They are Ibrahim Choji and Ahmadu Ibrahim. These two suspects were part of those who attacked Zongo village on 23rd of June.

“We also have three other suspects here, one Shuaibu Suleman, Buhari Shuaibu, Zakamin Abdulkadri, these ones were part of the suspects that attacked Josho village of Bokkos on the 14th of July.

“After this parade, we are going to hand them over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.

“Meanwhile our intelligence are working round the clock in the villages to fish out these attackers, and as soon as we get them, we will let the public know, and they will be treated according to the law.

“We have paraded 11 suspects before, and here we are parading another 7 suspects and all of them are in connection to the attacks. So we have 18 suspects so far”

General Agie said the suspects would be prosecuted in Jos.

Following the arrest of some suspects ,Governor Simon Lalong said those arrested in connection with the killings in some communities in the state would be prosecuted in Jos, the state capital, as against the practice of transferring suspects to Abuja for trial.

Lalong gave the assurance when members of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) visited him on a condolence visit and to commiserate with the citizens on the incidents which claimed over 200 lives.

He enumerated some of the proactive steps taken to ensure lasting peace in the state and solicited prayers for peace not just for the state but the country as a whole.

His words: “As a government, we will go back to the drawing board to see what has happened. Our first responsibility as a government is the protection of lives and properties and we will do our best to ensure that our people stay in peace. I regret the killings in the state and we would ensure justice for the innocent

Following the attack the state government immediately commenced distribution of Relief Materials to Internal Displaced Persons IDPs following attacks on some communities in the State.

A statement by Hon Yakubu Dati ,the commissioner for information and communication ,made available to newsmen in Jos reads that “The inter-agency collaboration between the Federal and State agencies witnessed the distribution of relief materials by National Emergency Managment Agency NEMA and Plateau State Emergency Management Agency SEMA officials.

The statement reads that “The flag-off of the distribution of relief materials was performed by the Director General of the Plateau Peace Building Agency, Joseph Lengma, at Geo-sciences office at Anguldi, where he conveyed government’s sympathy with the IDPs

The team were also at Riyom Local Government Area where the IDPs where condoled by members of the team including Mr Silas Vem, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Deputy Governor, Hon Dan Manjang and Hon Bulus Bot, who are both Hon Commissioners. Others include the clergy and staff of NEMA and SEMA.

Lalong also assured the people of the state that the State Government would do every thing possible to address challenges being faced by the Internally Displaced Persons in the state .

The governor made this known when he visited the Internally Displaced Persons IDP camp to see for himself the condition of the displaced persons and ensure that they received the relief materials released.

Our correspondent reports that Gov Lalong is the first Governor of the state that has visited any IDP camp .

He urged them to be patient as government was working hard to ensure that their security is guaranteed before they are relocated to their homes.

Governor Lalong, who said government will hunt and arrest their attackers, reiterated that he would not allow their ancestral land to be grabbed.

Our correspondent also reports that the Governor, s convoy was attacked by some hoodlums on his way out of the IDP camp as the Plateau State Government immediately condemned in very strong terms the attack on the convoy of His Excellency Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong, The Executive Governor of Plateau State, by some hoodlums shortly after leaving an Internally Displaced Camp camp at Anguldi, Jos South Local Government Area of the State.

A statement by Yakubu Dati ,the Commissioner of Information and Communication and made available to newsmen in Jos reads that The hoodlums, acting on the script of their sponsors, laid ambush on the highway and attacked the Governor ‘s convoy with stones, rods and other unidentified objects, damaging vehicles in the convoy including those belonging to the press corp, security and relief agencies.

The attack is coming at the heels of a similar invasion on the Plateau State Government House about two weeks ago, where Government properties, vehicles of Civil Servants and visitors to the Government House running into millions of naira were destroyed.

The Government finds it regrettable that while its efforts at restoring peace is yielding results, certain unpatriotic elements are bent on returning our State to the sad era of blood letting by instigating religious and ethnic hatred, for cheap political gains.

The Government views these attacks as an affront on the authority of the State and will therefore take appropriate measures to checkmate merchants of division and death.

The Governor wishes to assure citizens that Government will not relent in ensuring that the safety of citizens is guaranteed and the relative peace sustained.

The Governor also wishes to thank the Security Agencies for professionally carrying out their duties with restrain even in the face of extreme provocation.

The IDPs must not allow those who do not wish them well to use their misfortune for ulterior motives.

We call on parents, religious and community leaders to counsel their children/members not to become willing tools in the hands of conflict merchants.

Government has set a machinery in motion to fish out and bring to justice all those conniving to present the state as unsafe by sowing the seed of discord among the good people of Plateau state.

Meanwhile Elders under the aegis of Coalition of Plateau Patriots have condemned in totality the attacks of innocent persons by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen and other criminal elements leading to the deaths of many and maiming of innocent people and also the destruction of several villages of Bassa ,Barkin Ladi ,Mangu ,Riyom and Jos south local areas of the state .

“Enough blood has been spilled by this killer gunmen and we shall not accept any further loss of lives , properties , we should remain our brothers keepers at a time “.

Addressing newsmen in Jos on behalf of group Chief Sylvaus Lot said ” This killings of innocent persons have left humanitarian crises ,which the government of the state and people of goodwill are trying their best to solve ,the consequence of these heinous acts is the emergence of Internally displaced Peoples camps ,where several of our able hardworking and patriotic people are made to stay .”

“We as men and women of goodwill ,condemn in totality these barbaric and callous acts of the killings of our people by these herdsmen and other militia groups ,we add our voice with the good people of the world ,by calling on governments at all levels to step up actions in curbing and arresting and prosecting the perpetrators of these ungoldy acts ,that is fast becoming a norm .

The governor, s unparralled commitment to provide succor and ensure the relocation of the victims of the attacks to their homes is quite reassuring and appealing to us ,it is on record that the Ill informed attack on the Governor by these hoodlums took place when he was on one of such good missions ”

“As citizens of Plateau state ,we are worried by reactions and actions of some rampaging youths,we consider the series of attacks as an attack on the entire people of Plateau state and not an attack on a particular tribe ,after all in the aftermath of the recent attacks ,many of those who lost their lives were not only from a tribe but also people indigenous to the state ,we therefore condemn in totality their attitude of continued blockades of roads ,where further lost of lives of innocent indigenous people and other motorists take place we consider these actions of some unpatriotic youths in these area as not only barbaric ,but a further attempt to disunite the state in order to achieve a targeted agenda only known to these elements ”

Historically when similar attacks took place in Tarok and Goemai lands ,we did not witness the blocking and killings of road users ,when these killings took place in Bokkos,Mangu, and Bass a ,the were no road blocks ,talk more of killing innocent passers by .”

“We are equally worried by the reactions of some youths and other criminal elements and their masters ,especially in the current crisis , apart from blocking and killing people on the highways and the ways and manners they conduct themselves leave much to be desired ,the attacks and destruction of government properties at the Government house little Rayfield Jos and the one of Saturday July 14 ,2018 ,on the convoy of the state governor Bar Simon Lalong during a visit to the IDP camp in Anguldi ,Jos South ,show that these elements are up to something in the state , we are further worried by the shocking justification of these actions by some of their elders in high places which is disgraceful to say the least and is unbecoming of elders who once held sway in the state .

These condemnable acts have very glaring political undertones ,in particular the Ill fated attacks on seat of Government deserved a closer look ,it is to be noted that the active involvement of some highly placed people who are state ding trial for alleged corruption speaks volume about the political motivations behind the attacks ,it does seem that since the desperate attempt to jettison the principle of zoning of Governorship and foist an ethnic age da failed the activities of a particular ethnic group and other criminal element have been replete with belligerent outbursts and other acts of unbridled intolerance

These crisis predates Gov Lalong ,and unless we are united ,did these groups attack the then former Governor of the state ,when gunmen alleged to be herdsmen attacked and killed several people in Dogo Nahawa did they attack the then governor in government house ,when a serving Senator and a member of the Plateau state house of assembly was killed during a funeral mass of some people killed by the herdsmen ,it is on record that ,in all the attacks during the past administration ,we did not recall the former Governor visiting the affected areas ,not to talk of visiting the wounded ,yet these groups saw and said nothing

Plateau state is a collective heritage and should not be made to look like an exclusive preserve of one or two ethnic groups , we take exception to any attempt to subvert the vision of the state,s founding fathers through efforts at estranging some segments of the state ,we call on other well meaning citizens of the state to rise to the occasion in defence of the collective and not individual ethnic interest of our dear state .

We therefore call on all well meaning elders in the state to call to order criminal elements whose political ambitions is pitting them against the other ethnic groups in the state ,may we caution here that no ethnic group can survive in this state alone ,we must be united and no other groups should see themselves as more superior than others

We call on security operatives to step up security in the state and must do the needful ,and ensure that the perpetrators of these killings in the state are fished out and punished according to the laws of the land .

We condemn in strong terms the attack on the Governor, s convoy and to tell the hoodlums that their days are numbered ,governance does not belong to few .

Meanwhile the President Jos Joint Traditional Council and the Gbong Gwom Jos, His Majesty Da Jacob Gyang Buba has said he received with dismay news of the recent attack on the convoy of His Excellency, Rt Hon. Simon Bako Lalong, the Executive Governor of Plateau State in Anguldi, Jos South Local Government Area by some irate youths after he visited the Internally Displaced Persons’ Camp in Geo-Sciences over the weekend.

In a statement signed by Alex Rwang Pam ,his

Head of Media and Public Relations and made available to newsmen in Jos

The Monarch considers the act as not only condemnable and morally wrong, but also a departure from the good virtues and character of the hardworking youth of the State, coming at a time the state is going through security challenges threatening its peaceful and hospitable status.

The Gbong Gwom Jos is appealing to His Excellency, the Governor of Plateau State and those injured in the unfortunate incident to pardon the misconduct of the youths which he believes were wrongly motivated by some miscreants for selfish gains, and it should not deter the Governor from focusing on his mandate of providing enabling environment for the return of peace and security in all communities across the state and also in fulfilling his pledge and utmost desire to persuade the Federal Government to put in place machinery that will ensure that all displaced persons return to their ancestral land and homes.

The Royal Father is however calling on youth in the state to always use appropriate channels to air their grievances rather than through violent means which put their lives and those of others around as risk.

Entire Management of the Geoscience Internal Displaced Persons IDP camp Anguldi Zawan on Tuesday condemns in strong terms the unruly ,barbaric and nasty attack on the convoy of Gov Simon Lalong by hoodlums last weekend .

The statement signed by Francis Chong the camp leader reads that we hereby disassociate our selves and the entire members of the Geo science IFP camp from such Barbaric acts ,as the actions of the hoodlums occurred outside the IDP camp premises ,this is regrettable and highly condemnable .

We hereby want to state clearly that such criminal actions was not in the interest of the IDPs as the good broke down the gate of the camp after the convoy of the governor had left and attempted to loot from the relief materials which the Governor donates to the camp .

The IDPs wish to also extend its gratitude to the Governor Simon Lalong and continue to pray that all government,s efforts to return us back to our ancestral home are intensified .

Meanwhile the Plateau State Governor Barrister Simon Lalong also pledged that his administration would remain committed to supporting every project and venture that would make life better for its citizens.

He also said ” Peace is our major cardinal principle .”

Gov Lalong stated this while receiving Past District Governors and members of the Rotary Club of Nigeria at the Government House, Jos.

Gov Lalong said with 53 ethnic nationalities resident in the State, what happens in the State affect the country and that is why ” Peace is our major cardinal principle.

United State Embassy deputy Chief of Mission in Nigeria Mr. David Young has condoled the Plateau state government and the good people of the state over the violence that erupted in some part of the state which led to the killing of over 100 people saying it is a great tragedy when Christians or Muslims lost lives.

The Envoy stated this while addressing newsmen in Jos the Plateau state capital after visiting Barkin Ladi LGA after met with government officials, religious leaders, the state peace building agency and human right organisation at the end of his two day visit to the state .

He express United States deep condolence to the people of the state while condemning the violence and urged security operatives to try as much as possible to curtail this magnitude of violence from occurrence in future.

According to him, the concerned of the embassy is that every lives is sacrosanct irrespective of tribal, religious and political difference saying security operatives should do more to prevent violence escalated to reprisal attacks.

He pointed out that he has met with over 800 internally displaced persons IDPs emphasising the need to provide support to victims of violence to alleviate their suffering while staying outside the comfort of their homes .

Mr. Young also commended Governor Simon Lalong and the federal government adding that those who are found guilty should be made to face the law to serve as a deterrent to others.

He added that the U S embassy valued her partnership with the Plateau State government will continued to sustain

In a related development Communities of Plateau State have been called upon to promote peaceful coexistence for the growth of the State and the people.

The call was made by the Long Gamai HRH Martins Shaldas, in his palace in Shendam local government area of the state at the enlarged Peace and Security meeting of the Southern Senatorial Zone.

According to the Royal Father, : ” we can only make progress in an atmosphere of Peace where people will be free to pursue their interests without fear.

Speaking earlier in a welcome remark, the chairman of the organising committee and the LongTehl, Bar Donald D. Puntehl, said their main focus is sustaining the peaceful coexistence in the Zone.

Governor Lalong who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Security, Cornelius Shiol Bial commended the initiators of the forum urging other communities to emulate the commendable efforts.

Plateau Regeneration Group has commended Gov Lalong,s efforts at ensuring that peace is restored to Plateau

Public Relations officer of the group Pam Datiri in a statement made available to newsmen in Jos also hailed the state Government for seeking Justice for those killed , we commend our governor Simon Lalong and other individuals ,associations and groups for their efforts in reducing the plight of IDPs .

We condemn the attack on the convoy of our governor by hoodlums and call on him not to be discouraged but to continue to do more for the people of the state

pictures speak