It is important to say the truth in all circumstances. I don’t care what I’m made to pass through provided it will save lives from being cut short by deadly arsonists, bring comfort to the downtrodden and strengthen the weak. There is no disputing the fact that Plateau state has indeed become the crucible of bloody killings and destruction by enemies of progress. Plateau state which is located in the Middle-Belt region was until now a safe haven for tin miners in the 80s. Its slogan ‘Home of Peace and Tourism’ was coined with wisdom and little did our ancestors know that the basic life-wire behind the slogan would sooner or later be shattered by some disgruntled, unscrupulous, evil-minded persons, criminal elements and fifth columnists. Truthfully, Plateau was one of the most-sought after states in the days of old given its rich tourist attraction sites, cool weather, strategic location, businesses opportunities, 

It is important to say the truth in all circumstances. I don’t care what I have to endure provided it will save lives from being cut short, bring comfort to the downtrodden and strengthen the weak. There is no disputing the fact that Plateau state has indeed become the crucible of bloody killings and destruction by enemies of progress. The state which is located in the Middle-Belt region was until now a safe haven for tin miners in the 1980s. It’s slogan ‘Home of Peace and Tourism’ was coined with wisdom and little did our ancestors know that the basic life-wire behind the slogan would sooner or later be shattered by some disgruntled, unscrupulous, evil-minded people, criminal elements and fifth columnists. Truthfully, Plateau was one of the most-sought after states in the days of old given its rich tourist attraction sites, cool weather, strategic location, business opportunities, agricultural activities, brilliant human resources and many more golden ventures.

The potential of the state, it’s warm hospitality and collective spirit of love and peace have carved a niche for us in the world space. Regrettably, our problems began to crystallize in view of the exodus of settlers, foreigners and business people into the state especially tin miners. They came in peace and we warmly embraced them. We over the years built trust and confidence but we were completely blind to the fact that they were ferocious wolves in sheep’s clothing. Today, the story has changed. The once peaceful and flourishing state has now become a theatre of war and the shedding of innocent blood especially in the rural areas. One would be tempted to say that the Jihad agenda designed to annihilate the Christian majority and conquer the state to be taken over by foreigners is at work. If others tried to capture the state through terrorism but failed woefully, what’s the possibility of emerging terrorists trying and succeeding? Their plans will obviously not see the light of day.

What started in the 1980s as a minor disagreement would later snowball into full-scale religious crisis and ethnic cleansing and their attendant consequences have been catastrophic and till date painful in the hearts of many both young and old. Hundreds of thousands have been untimely killed and properties worth billions of Naira destroyed. The Plateau case has generated a lot of concern from across the globe. Efforts made to stem the tide of killings only yielded limited results. So many judicial commissions of enquiry set by both state and Federal governments to investigate the problems and articulate amicable solutions have uniformly failed to work.

Today, the targets are innocent rural dwellers in the villages who have done nothing to warrant the attacks on their lives and communities by suspected Fulani mercenaries. Regrettably, the government hasn’t done enough to beef up security in those volatile and vulnerable areas. There are cases whereby soldiers have had course to retreat given the use of heavy and sophisticated weapons by the assailants. More worrisome and disturbing is the fact that the government has not kept faith in distributing relief materials to cushion the effects of the attacks.

In Plateau state for instance, there are scores of internally displaced people in Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Langtang and Wase Local governments. They’ve not adequately felt the impact of relief materials from the government. It is as if the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) headed by Alh. Sani Sidi selects some particular states and people that will benefit from Federal government’s relief materials. I say this with all sense of seriousness because Plateau state has contributed a lot to national development. We’ve paid our dues and done good for the nation. There is absolutely no justification in denying our suffering people what will help them recover from their huge loss and shock.

Sustained efforts must be made to halt the hostilities of between suspected Fulani mercenaries and rural farmers so that those displaced could return back to their ancestral homes. One way of addressing this senseless killings and misunderstanding, according to analysts is the establishment of feedlots (or grazing reserves) in some states of the federation. In these feedlots, cattles can graze, the herdsmen can live and forge a viable economic scheme with the host community. According to Uche Nnorom of the PEOPLES DAILY newspaper, ‘to put an end to this frequent occurrence, the nomadic cattle rearers and the farmers must understand that they both need each other, not only for their survival but also for the sustenance of the community.’ It is hoped that there will be no repeat of these ugly incidents. God bless Plateau state.

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PLATEAU KILLINGS: THE BITTER BUT SAVING TRUTH BY SATMAK DAPAR