Plateau Stakeholders, Security and Religious Leaders raise Alarm of influx of Herdsmen into the State.

By Pam Moses

Plateau State Peace Stakeholders consist of Religious, Ethnic and Community Leaders in conjunction with Security Agencies, Political Parties and Local Government chairmanship Candidates from Plateau State Northern Zone has on Tuesday raise security alarm of mass influx of herdsmen from other States into Plateau State.

The Peace Stakeholders in a communiqué signed by the chairman of the forum and the Catholic Bishop of Jos, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, Christians Association of Nigeria Pastor Agnes Lagang, Jamaatu Nasril Islam (JNI) Alh. Yusuf Sarumi and Fulani Community Alhaji Haruna Boro amongst security and Political parties leadership said the mass influx of the herdsmen has the capacity to spark conflict with natives.

“Arising from dialogue and combined consultative meeting of Religious and ethnic/ community leaders in conjunction with security Agencies, Political Party leadership, and Local Government Candidates for Plateau North held on Tuesday 6th February, 2018 at Dialogue, Reconciliation and Peace Centre (DREP) Jos, make the following observations”.

“We observe that there is mass influx of herdsmen from other States into Plateau State. This has the capacity to spark conflict with natives. We appeal to our native Fulani herdsmen with whom we have coexisted peacefully to help in fishing out strange elements who invade our communities to cause trouble”.

The stakeholders condemn in strong terms the growing spate of crime such as kidnapping, pick pocketing and armed robbery across states.

“We also observe that most communities are becoming militarised as possession of illegal firearms is rising. Armed proliferation can only endanger our communities and expose us to more risks and we call on citizens to cooperate with Security Agencies to protect us rather than take the laws into our hands”.

However the Director General of the Plateau Peace Building Agency Mr Joseph Lengmang has commended the Dialogue Reconciliation and Peace Centre (DREP) toward supporting Government to achieved the desire peace the state is yearning for.

According to him the stakeholders meeting is very key as the focus on the emergence issues of conflict and find out lasting solutions especially to the farmers and herders clashes in the state.

While speaking on the postponement of the Local Government elections in the state by the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission as result of security reasons Lengmang said the State cannot afford to make mistakes of the past by going against the security report to conduct the Local Government elections, saying the security of lives and prosperity is very important by the Lalong administration in the state.

“When you see danger coming from afar, then the best thing is to avoid it,” he said.

Our correspondent gathered that real and serious threats to peace and security in some parts of Plateau State actually informed the advice of the State Security Council that compelled the State Independent Electoral Commission to suspend conduct of the local government councils elections that were billed to hold on February 17, 2018.

A source at the headquarters of the Plateau State Command of the Nigeria Police yesterday night simply described the details of the latest security report on the State as ” worrisome “, maintaining that ” no responsible government or security council would have allowed the elections go ahead when an intelligence report indicates clearly eminent dangers and plans by some unpatriotic elements to use the occasion to cause mischief “.

According to the source, given the benefit of hindsight, the security agencies in the State, as part of the build up to the elections, intensified coordinated security surveillance across the state, and were particularly vigilante because of the violent clashes and insurgency activities in neighbouring States.

He said the report shows that some local government areas especially in Plateau North and Plateau South senatorial zones were rendered veritable flash points for violence, and the perpetrators have planned to factor into the opportunity of any disagreement or altercation to unleash such confusion that will cause real break down of law and order with severe implications for peace.

He blamed part of the problem on ineffective border patrol and surveillance, a situation, he explained, underpin cross-border crimes and criminal fraternities, and providing opportunity for criminals to seek and take refuge in States or country other than theirs.

Given the bloody activities of herdsmen and hoodlums in recent times especially in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria, it is feared that any breakdown of law and order now could escalate easily and degenerate into such sectarian commotion that Will take a huge toll on human lives and the desired environment for social, political, and economic development.

He maintained that also contained in the report is anger among politicians in the different political parties arising especially from the internal processes that produced candidates for various positions in the same local government elections. He said reconciliation and party harmony are vital for a peaceful elections atmosphere. Angry and aggrieved politicians could explore a background full of criminal elements to commit mischief and all manner of electoral shenanigans.

However, reacting to the development yesterday, Plateau State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Hon Damishi Sango, described the action as premeditated and conjectured.

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Plateau Stakeholders, Security and Religious Leaders raise Alarm of influx of Herdsmen into the State