From Yakubu Busari, Jos
People loiter at premises of destroyed homes during theThursday attack
The Thursday morning killing of 10 persons by suspected gunmen have continue to generate tension among a section of the Fulani and Irigwe people of Plateau State in North Central Nigeria.
While the Fulani group alleges bias on the part of soldiers deployed for security operations in the state under the Special Task Force, STF, the Irigwe leaders say the killings, which claimed its people, followed a pattern that had been orchestrated by herdsmen for a long time with the recent attack done under the distraction caused by national attention on the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the National Youth President of Fulani Social and Cultural Group under the aegis of Jonde Jam, Alh Saidu Maikano Adamu, “the army officers deployed to plateau state for protection of lives and properties of the citizens have not been fair to the Fulani herdsmen residents in North Central Nigeria.”
President of the Irigwe Development Association, IDA, Hon. Sunday Abdu said the herdsmen also took advantage of the delayed redeployment of soldiers to their community in Bassa LGA to renewed their attacks on their settlements.
Speaking to our correspondent on phone, Adamu expressed, “dissatisfaction with the manner the personnel deploy to defend the vulnerable communities used their guns to killed over 100 heads of cows belonging to their members.”
According to him, the recent clashes between the Irigwe and the Fulani has left them with serious doubt where the soldiers belong, alleging that, “soldiers connived with the STF Commandant to wreck havoc on our business by killings cows in raided settlements in Bassa LGA.
Adamu disclosed that the recent upheaval that led to loss of lives and properties between the Fulani and the Irigwe has taken another dimension as “soldiers invaded their settlements in Bassa LGA and killed the cows without any provocation”
But in Irigwe’s Abdu view, the “truth is, recently the land has not known peace owing to the wicked activities of herdsmen who have continued to destroy farmlands in an attempt to weaken the economic life of our people. More worrisome is the loss of lives to these senseless campaigns of calumny.
“On Wednesday, 1 April, Ancha , one of our troubled communities was visited once more in an attack that left three people dead and various houses razed.
“On Thursday 2 April, we woke up to bury six people burnt to death in Hukke from an overnight attack.
“Recently also, two young men were murdered in cold blood in nkyiedongwro while returning from their trade of making bricks.
“There was also the killing of two mourners at Kpenrie village on March 23, same day three children were also killed at Gbra zongu village.
“On April 3, the news came in that same nkyiedongwro suffered another night attack, such that there may be no house left to burn
He said the assailants even extended their attacks to security personnel stationed to protect his people, leading to the “death of two of their comrades who were murdered in cold blood. When this happened, we expected a more robust activity by the Operation Safe Haven to apprehend the culprits and bring their activities to a halt. Unfortunately, this ugly trend has continued.”
He disclosed that he Paramount ruler, Braa Nggwe Rigwe, Reverend Ronku Aka, and himself have sent condolences to the Operation Safe Haven over the incident, and expressed “worry over the recent withdrawal of men of the special security task force Operation Safe Haven from our domain.”
He appealed to the military authorities to as a matter of concern and urgency redeploy military personnel to resume security duties in our land.
“If during their presence the assailants dared launched attacks on our communities, what more now that they are withdrawn. We are tempted to feel that this withdrawal of troops may have given impetus to the rampaging herdsmen to continue or escalate their murderous campaign.”
He also appealed to the state government to consolidate on the peace that the state has enjoyed for sometime now by talking to the top echelon of the military to do sustain their operations
Adamu appealed,“ to the Chief of Defense Staff, General Gabriel Olorisakin, the Chief of Army staff Lt, Gen General Tukur Buratai, to come to the rescue of the Fulani herdsmen because the security personnel deploy to Plateau State have already taken sides.”
He also called on the federal government to “set up an investigative committee to fish out the bad eggs among the army officers deployed to man the security operations in the state.”
Contacted, the STF spokesman, Major Ibrahim Shittu said he is yet to have full facts of the story and would speak only when he does.
