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Democracy Day: Take It Back Movement Demands Transparent Probe Into Plateau Killings
As Nigeria marked this year’s Democracy Day, the Plateau State chapter of the Take It Back (TIB) Movement has issued a sobering statement, describing the day as a “mourning period” for citizens in conflict-ridden regions. The group condemned rising insecurity, mass killings, and displacement across Plateau State, calling on the Federal Government to initiate an independent and transparent investigation into the violence.
Speaking during a press conference in Jos, the State Coordinator of the movement, Comrade John Onah, accused the government of abandoning its constitutional duty to protect lives. He urged the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to respond urgently to what he called a “full-blown humanitarian crisis.”
“Every day, Plateau citizens wake up to the sound of gunfire, burning homes, and the lifeless bodies of their loved ones,” Onah lamented. “This is no longer just a security issue — it is the collapse of governance and responsibility.”
Citing data from Amnesty International Nigeria, Onah revealed that at least 2,630 people have been killed in Plateau State since 2023. Nationally, over 10,217 lives have reportedly been lost to violent attacks, with 672 villages sacked across Benue, Niger, and Plateau states.
He warned that communities in Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Riyom, and Bokkos LGAs remain under siege, with more than 150,000 persons displaced, schools shut down, and access to food, shelter, and healthcare severely limited.
Federal Government Must Act
The TIB movement outlined a series of demands directed at the Federal Government:
- Immediate deployment of intelligence-driven security operations to high-risk areas.
- A coordinated humanitarian response to hunger, displacement, and healthcare needs.
- Restoration of destroyed communities and livelihoods.
- An independent investigation led by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) into all cases of mass killings and displacements.
Onah emphasized that Plateau State has been sidelined from critical federal interventions and infrastructure support, accusing the central government of “indifference” in the face of widespread suffering.
State Government Must Move Beyond Condolences
Turning to the Plateau State Government, the movement criticized Governor Caleb Mutfwang for offering condolences rather than decisive action.
“If the governor cannot protect his people or empower them to defend themselves, he should resign,” Onah declared, referencing Section 14(b) of the Nigerian Constitution, which prioritizes the security and welfare of the people.
TIB’s demands to the state government include:
- Full funding and empowerment of local peace commissions and community-based security outfits, particularly Operation Rainbow.
- Regular public updates on investigations and justice efforts.
- Inclusion of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in recovery and trauma counseling programs.
- Support for displaced children to return to school.
Call to Security Agencies and Civil Society
The group also called on security agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering and coordination, and to hold personnel accountable in cases of negligence or complicity.
It further appealed to civil society organizations and the media to amplify the voices of survivors, demand transparency, and remain steadfast in the pursuit of justice and peace.
“Though the situation in Plateau may seem dire, it is not hopeless,” Onah said. “We speak not to spread fear but to inspire urgency. For the sake of democracy, justice, and human dignity, we must take it back.”
A worker at Frankfurt Airport in Germany has died of malaria in a rare outbreak believed to have been caused by infected mosquitoes brought into the country on an aircraft.
Five other airport workers have also contracted the disease and are receiving medical treatment, according to the BBC.
The airport operator, Fraport, confirmed the death on Wednesday. “Sadly, we must confirm that one employee has died as a result of the infection,” a Fraport spokesperson told the BBC.
The outbreak is being investigated by Frankfurt’s Public Health Department, with officials trying to establish how the workers became infected.
The BBC reported that the six infected workers are men who work in different areas and perform different jobs at the airport. None is known to have travelled to a country where malaria is common.
German health authorities believe the infections may have been caused by mosquitoes brought into Germany on an aircraft. Mosquito traps have now been installed at the airport, while captured mosquitoes are being analysed to determine their species and origin.
Rare outbreak
The cases are described as “airport malaria”, a rare form of transmission that can occur when an infected mosquito is transported on an aircraft or in luggage and later bites people at or near an airport.
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the country’s federal public health and disease control agency, said the first four workers became ill between 4 and 6 July.
The institute said malaria cases in Germany exclusively involve people who were infected while travelling to malaria-endemic areas, making transmission at a German airport unusual.
READ ALSO: WHO, Africa CDC warn of widening malaria funding gap in Africa
The last documented case of airport malaria at Frankfurt Airport was in 2023, the RKI said.
Frankfurt’s public health authorities have said the risk to the general population remains very low because malaria is not transmitted directly from person to person. It is spread through the bites of infected mosquitoes.
Malaria remains a major public health concern in Nigeria, although recent data show signs of progress.
In July, Malaria Consortium reported that malaria prevalence in Nigeria had fallen from 42 per cent in 2010 to 15.2 per cent in 2025.
Despite the decline, the organisation said Nigeria continues to carry one of the world’s heaviest malaria burdens, with children under five and pregnant women disproportionately affected.
Malaria is caused by parasites transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable, but can become severe or fatal when diagnosis and treatment are delayed.
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