TEXT OF PRESS CONFERENCE HELD BY THE PLATEAU CAUCUS IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, ABUJA, NIGERIA ON THE PLATEAU MASSACRE BY KILLER HERSDMEN, THURSDAY 05/07/18 AT THE NASS COMPLEX ABUJA.
 
The Plateau state caucus in the National Assembly deemed it necessary to address the Press on the increasing state of insecurity in Plateau state, the latest being terror attacks and massacre of over 215 persons by killer herdsmen. While condemning the attacks in its totality, we sympathize with the families of all those who lost their lives in this unfortunate mayhem.
 
As the representatives of the people, we are heart broken by the fact that the hospitable and peace loving people of Plateau state are being hunted and massacred by those who were embraced, hosted and accommodated as fellow citizens in the spirit of brotherhood and togetherness.
 
We are still in a state of shock and disbelieve with the magnitude and barbarity of the killings, destruction of homes and property that left hundreds of slain men, women, young, old, children and toddlers!
 
We have noted with relief the outpouring of condemnation by Nigerian leaders and citizens alike. The international community has also waded in with severe condemnation including the UN, US, British Parliament, etc.
We particularly appreciate the position and far reaching resolutions adopted by the National Assembly on the killings by declaring the massacre as genocide.
The narrative of the killings and massacre has clearly revealed that it is a well-orchestrated LAND GRABBING AGENDA that inflicts terror to attack and sack targeted communities.

The heavily armed killer herdsmen invade, kill and destroy both life and property and sack the surviving natives to take over the land for occupation.
 
The pattern is repeated and replicated until village after village, community after community are annexed and occupied by the herdsmen who are imported from only-God knows-where to occupy the annexed villages, which are designated, as conquered territory.
Over 52 such villages and communities have been annexed in four LGs of B/Ladi, Riyom, Bassa and Bokkos.
 
We have taken time to clarify this position to correct attempts at distorting and misrepresenting the narrative with sentiments and obfuscation.

It is unfortunate that the Land grabbing agenda has continued in spite of several peace-building initiative in the state over time between native communities and the Fulani’s.
The Plateau people are appalled at the audacity of the terrorists and the impunity with which they are unleashing death and mayhem.

This is what the international community has frowned at thus, insisting that the Nigerian government must rise to its responsibility of protecting vulnerable citizens and ending the killer herdsmen attacks. They charged the President to go beyond verbal condemnation to taking practical and decisive steps to end the killings and secure the communities at risk of further attacks.

We cannot but restate the fact that the primary constitutional responsibility of government is to ensure the security and well being of citizens individually and collectively. The Federal Government should therefore rise to the challenge of fulfilling this mandatory Constitutional responsibility by:
1). Stopping the genocide on the Plateau by killer herdsmen.
2). Putting an end to Land Grabbing and annexation
3). Recover all land under illegal occupation, Reconstruct and Resettle the displaced communities on their ancestral land.
 
We are alerting the world today that the ethnic minorities on the Plateau are targeted for extinction and annihilation through acts of genocide being perpetrated by killer herdsmen. We note with dismay the statement of the Presidency that we either accept ranching or continue to face death. In view of the dire implications of that statement, we demand clarification to its intent and purposes.

It is necessary to use this medium to address the claim of Hon Idris Wase one of our colleague who openly alluded to having knowledge of the sponsors of the terror attacks on the Plateau. He divulged information that requires further probing by the security agencies. He further asserted that 300 hundred persons from Plateau state were trained in Israel with no trace of identification or travel documents. He also alluded to some arms that were imported in containers and taken to a location known to him in Plateau state. These claims are weighty and ought to be investigated by the Police.
 
However, without prejudice to the outcome of the investigation, we question the rational why Hon Idris who said he came across this information during the 2015 transition period is only releasing it now.

Why did he not refer his ‘discovery’ to the Police all this while? To say that 300 persons were trained in Israel from Plateau state with no trace of identification or travel documents is an indictment on the Nigerian Immigration Service, DSS and other security agencies.
 
Hon Wase is aware that the Operation Rainbow Neighbourhood Watch is a state run joint security outfit that has officers and men from the Police, DSS, NSCDC and youths that were recruited from all LGs of Plateau state Wase LG inclusive.

The establishment and modus operandi of the Operation Rainbow outfit had Presidential approval and backed by a law of the Plateau State House of Assembly and has been retained by the Lalong administration.

 
We therefore call on the IGP to immediately invite Hon Wase to provide the proof of the sponsors of the killings on the Plateau. Since the House of Representatives has by resolution urged that protection be given to Hon Idris, we support that Resolution so that Hon Idris Wase can substantiate his claims. Since, he made the allegations public, the IGP should also inform the public of the outcome of the investigation.

The Plateau caucus of the National Assembly as critical stakeholders in the return of peace in Plateau State supports any legitimate efforts to ensuring that lasting peace is restored. In this regard, we urge Plateau citizens to remain calm and law abiding and not to take laws into their hands no matter the provocation.

We have also noted that the Internal Security Operations under OPSH in Plateau state has fallen short of meeting the objective of securing the lives and property of citizens from sustained and persistent killer herdsmen attacks. There are reported cases of alleged complicity and collusion in the operations by some officers and men thus compounding the vulnerability of communities under attack.

We urge the OPSH to purge itself of any officers or men who are found complicit in compromising professionalism for other considerations.
 
To address the failed security architecture of the Federation, we find it compelling to reiterate the Resolution of the House at its sitting of Tuesday, 03/07/18 to revisit the Constitution Review exercise to empower states to establish and run state Police. This will no doubt strengthen community policing and vigilance.
 
We also take the issue of administering relief to the IDPs as a priority by NEMA to ensure that food, beddings, building materials and sanitary items reach them in good time and in sufficient quantities to avert a humanitarian crisis.
 
Gentleman of the Press, we cannot end this briefing without drawing the attention of the nation and the world to plans by some vested interest to further harass the traumatized communities by subjecting them to double jeopardy.

After failing to protect the victims, they should be allowed to recover from the trauma of terror without compounding their plight and helplessness particularly now that their farm crops have been maliciously destroyed and grazed upon by herdsmen. The farm crops destruction is one area targeted at strangulating and disempowering the natives economically without appropriate security intervention.

 
We respect the constitutional right of citizens to reside in any location of their choice within the Federation but that right should recognize the right of other citizens to their land, custom, heritages and property.

 
In closing, we again appreciate well-meaning and peace loving Nigerians and indeed the international community for their empathy.

We hope the Nigerian state and government will, this time around, not let the nation and the international community down by ensuring that the genocide and land grabbing is stopped, land being illegally occupied is returned to the aboriginal land owners and set up a Reconstruction Fund to facilitate rebuilding and resettlement of destroyed communities.

 
Thank you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
 
Signed:
Senator Gen JT Useni
Senator Jonah D Jang
Hon Beni Lar
Hon Istifanus D Gyang
Hon Solomon B Maren
Hon Timothy Golu
Hon Johnbull T Shekarau
Hon Edward G Pwajok.
Hon Suleiman Kwande

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Plateau Massacre: Plateau Caucus of the National Assembly Text of Press Conference