Leadership
Bestiality was taken to its zenith recently when 25 people were killed and 14 injured during an attack on travelers in Gada-by, in the northern part of Plateau State. According to reports, the attack was suspected to be a reprisal one by the youths in Irigwe community over previous violence visited on them by elements believed to be bandits. In the past five weeks, Irigwe community claimed that more than 100 of their people were killed by criminal elements while churches were burnt down and nothing was done by the security agencies.
We recall the case of Major General Idris Alkali who was killed by an unidentified group assumed to be from Dura-Du District, Jos South local government area of Plateau State. He was declared missing after he disappeared while travelling alone in his car from Abuja to Bauchi State. His body was later found in a shallow pit. We make reference to this dastardly act to point out that the orgy of violence in that part of the country has become intractable with the authorities pretending that it could possibly stop on its own regardless of the fact that plateau State has been a flashpoint of religious, farmers and herders’ clashes in recent year.
This newspaper recalls the 2010 Jos riots between Muslim and Christian ethnic groups with over 2,992 deaths recorded. Prior to that, in 2001, there was a riot in Jos involving Christians and Muslims over the appointment of a Muslim politician, Alhaji Muktar Mohammed, as local coordinator of the federal poverty alleviation programme. The clashes lasted nearly two weeks and, in the end, some 1,000 people were reportedly killed.
Also, in 2008, there was a riot in Jos involving Christians and Muslims over the result of a local government election. Two days of rioting left hundreds injured and at least 761 dead. Sadly, in our view, after some years of relative peace, the state, in the last few months has, again, descended into what can reasonably be described as senseless killings and reprisal attacks that seem endless.
Earlier this month, gunmen attacked a Plateau community leaving a trail of blood and death with an estimated seven people fatally wounded according to residents. Similarly, gunmen reportedly killed seven persons and razed 250 houses in some communities in Miango chiefdom of Bassa Local Government Area of the state.
The community said in 2021, about 39 communities were displaced, over 700 killed with 55 people injured and hospitalized. The number of farm crops destroyed was close to 3,000. Experts have contended that ethnic differences, social and economic issues are the root of the reoccurring violence in the state.
What is happening in the state has continued because of an alleged bias on the part of some operatives within the security architecture. It is also alleged that the security agencies are not doing enough to control what is going on so as to find a lasting solution to whatever is the problem.
In spite of the perceived roles played by some actors in the saga, we strongly condemn the killings and the reprisals that follow because it is a vicious cycle that, if not checked, will create greater problem for all.
We also commend the efforts of the Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong who had consistently initiated peace building efforts in the state. Indeed, the recent killings has the capacity to snowball into a full-blown religious crisis that can spread to neighbouring state.
As part of efforts to manage the crisis, the state government has imposed a 24-hour curfew in the flashpoint areas. On his part, President Muhammadu Buhari has said “Make no mistake about it: in line with my commitment to protect all Nigerians, I have ordered our security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of this gruesome massacre of innocent travelers and bring them to justice.
The assumption, as the present violence persists, is that it has a religious hue. Without prejudice to the veracity of this claim, we call on religious leaders in the area to preach tolerance to their faithful. Intolerance has been one of the major triggers of the crisis. This is the time for cool head.
Similarly, in our considered opinion, the lack of….
