· NASS To Organise Security Summit To Adress Menace
· Atiku Charges Security Agencies To Exhibit Higher Degree Of Proactiveness
· DHQ Reveals Factors Fuelling Issue
· Gov Muftwang Calls For Calm, Warns Against Reprisal Attacks
The latest spate of killing in Plateau State has drawn widespread outrage and condemnation from several quarters.
The Matrix reports that no fewer than 30 persons, mostly children and women, were killed by assailants in Kwahaslalek village, a community in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Mwaghavul Development Association President, Joseph Gwankat, said the attack occurred on Tuesday night while residents assembled at a compound in the village to observe the curfew imposed on the local government by the government.
Houses and property were also destroyed in the attack.
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Two other communities of Kinat and Mairana on the borders of Mangu and Barkin Ladi local government areas were also attacked same night.
Earlier, no fewer than 200 persons were killed in Christmas Eve attacks in the state.
Reacting to the killings, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar in a statement on his official X page on Thursday, January 25, 2024 said the lack of anticipation and preventive measures against such crises is a matter of grave concern and called on the security agencies to bring the perpetrators to book.
“I am deeply saddened by the violence and killings in the Mangu local government of Plateau State despite the imposition of a 24-hour curfew.
“This heinous act of violence, where innocent lives are being brutally snatched away, homes set ablaze, and communities thrown into chaos, is a direct affront to the values of peace and unity that we hold dear.
“It is imperative that our security agencies exhibit a higher degree of proactiveness, particularly in light of the recurring incidents of banditry in Plateau and across various parts of the country. It is high time that our security forces rise to the occasion, ensuring the safety and well-being of our citizens.
“Even as I call for peace, I stand in solidarity with the victims and their families during this difficult time. Let us all come together to ensure that such tragedies are not repeated. “
Also reacting to the issue, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, in a statement on Thursday, said it was devastating to hear the news about renewed attacks and hostility in communities in Mangu Local Government Area of the state.
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The Speaker said he would meet with President Bola Tinubu on the matter, pending the resumption of the National Assembly from its Christmas and New Year break.
He said the House would kick-start plans to organise a security summit to find lasting solutions to the challenges, saying that enough is enough on the Plateau killings.
Abbas recalled that there had been continuous attacks in some communities in Plateau since December 2023, which led to the deaths of many people.
“Just this week, attacks were reported in Mangu where scores of people were killed. The latest incident led the Plateau government to impose a 24-hour curfew in the area. I am deeply saddened by the continuous killings in Plateau. It is unfortunate and disheartening that this is happening at this time when efforts are on to tackle insecurity around the country.
“I call on the people of Plateau to live in peace with one another, as they were known for years back. We cannot continue like this as a people. Our Creator, in His wisdom, brought us together for a reason, and we must continue to appreciate our differences and form a common front to tackle our collective challenges instead of killing ourselves. This path will only take us backwards,” Abbas said.
Meanwhile, the military has blamed herder militia, cattle rustling and a combination of other factors for the crisis which has engulfed the area.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, stated this on Thursday while addressing a news conference in Abuja on the activities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
He, however, said special forces have been deployed to hot spots in the state to contain the situation.
General Buba said, “The situation was triggered by a number of factors including the attempted cattle rustling and the killing of a Mangu man by herder militia.”
He said it was reported that the man riding on a motorcycle along the road ran into a herd of cattle crossing the road on the 22nd of January 2024.
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“The herders reportedly killed the man on the spot. Consequently, militia mobilised and attacked residents in the early hours of 23rd of January,” he said.
General Buba added that the Defence Headquarters would meet with the Chairman of the Christian Association Of Nigeria in the local government, Revd Timothy Daluk, over his recent comment accusing the military of supervising the killings of Christians and the destruction of properties in the state.
In a related development, Governor Caleb Mutfwang has condemned the recent security breach in Mangu Local Government Area of the state where over thirty persons were killed and property destroyed.
The governor in a press statement signed by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, expressed concerns on the escalating security challenges that resulted in destruction of homes and livelihoods by suspected hoodlums.
Governor Mutfwang also extended his heartfelt condolences to the grieving families, affected communities and those injured in the unfortunate incidents, urging them to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious activities for swift intervention.
The role of security agencies in restoring calm and normalcy to the affected areas was commended by the governor as he called for continued collaboration between security agencies and government to provide maximum protection to all citizens.
Warning against further security breach in the affected areas, the governor asserted that the government would not tolerate any further breakdown of law and order in any part of the state and urged security agencies to intensify efforts to guarantee absolute peace across the state.
