The leadership of the Plateau State Youth Council (PYC), in Coalition with the Plateau State Indigenous Youths, and YOWICAN on behalf of all Plateau youths, has decried the renewed killings and Fulani attacks in Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Bokkos, Jos South, Riyom, and Bassa LGAs of Plateau State describing it as an attempt orchestrated to disrupt farming activities, displace populations, and grab lands in the affected communities.
Lot Sunday Adas, Chairman, of Plateau State Youth Council made this known in a joint press conference held at the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat on Saturday 29th April 2023.
Recall that from April 15th, 2023, to date, several villages and hamlets have come under attack, people have been killed, properties worth millions of Naira destroyed, and others have been displaced from their ancestral homes within the state.
According to the coalition, the attacks are strategies of war and terrorism aimed at disrupting farming activities, displacing people, and grabbing lands rather than isolated incidents or farmer-herder clashes. They also expressed disappointment with the response of security agencies, particularly Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), which has always come too late and too little to save lives despite early warning signals sent to them by members of the coalition.
Lot Sunday Adas stated that the victims of these killings and attacks are treated as second-class citizens in Nigeria, and this is totally unacceptable, unconstitutional, and repugnant to natural justice, equity, and good conscience. Therefore, the coalition has resolved that operatives of Operation Safe Haven should desist from giving the impression that the Fulani militias are unknown gunmen. They also demand an immediate end to these attacks and that the perpetrators be brought to justice.
He added that Operatives of Operation Safe Haven should desist from the ironical and wrongful arrest of victims rather than offenders as in the case of Kuru Station of Wereng in Riyom LGA, where two people were wrongfully arrested having themselves suffered crops destruction by the Fulani Herders.
Mr. Jatau Yakubu Kachai of Kuru station in Riyom LGA who was wrongfully arrested and continuously detained by Operation Safe Haven at its headquarters in Jos be immediately released unconditionally.
Operation Safe Haven-OPSH has been complaisant and has compromised on several occasions and therefore, should be substituted with the Mobile Police squadron in all the affected areas given their proactive and more effective response to distress calls.
Personnel of Operation Rainbow in Plateau State should be activated and deployed accordingly.
Adas called on the Plateau State Government to urgently provide succor to the victims and their families. They also urge the government to take proactive measures to address the root causes of the attacks and provide adequate security for the people of Plateau State.
“The coalition believes that the state government has a duty to ensure that every citizen is protected and secured in their own land. Finally, we call on all well-meaning citizens and organizations to lend their voice and support to end the incessant killings and attacks in Plateau State.”
Adas added that failure of the appropriate authorities to comply with the demands of the Coalition, Plateau Youths will be left with no option but to resort to self-help
