By Marie-therese Nanlong, Jos

It is no longer news that Plateau State has for over a decade been a hotbed of crises, though the immediate past administration headed by Jonah Jang did its best to curb the trend. But the lull engendered by government’s intervention has since the new governor was sworn-in over two weeks ago given way to fresh and even more ferocious attacks, resulting in many villages in Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Wase local government areas now being deserted.

Boko Haram

Though the problem in Wase is unconnected with those of Barkin Ladi and Riyom which borders on clashes between the Fulani herdsmen and native Berom farmers, residents of the three areas are presently living in fear and many had fled the areas to seek refuge in perceived safe environments.

Over 400 lives have been lost at Barkin Ladi and Riyom between January 2015 and the time of this report. Communities like Sho, Foron, Kakpwis, Vat, Zakupang, Ropp, Fan, Jong, Lobirin, Rabuk, Zim, Ninji, Garshish, among others, in Barkin Ladi as well as Rim, Sharubutu, Sopp, Kwi, Shonong, Bachit and Jol have suffered one attack or the other, and many of their houses, churches, schools, markets, clinics burnt down by the attackers.

Most villagers in the affected villages are taking refuge in public facilities in the respective local government headquarters, while farming and trading, their means of livelihood, are now paralysed and their children out of schools. While these calamities unfold, there has been no reprieve from security agents, especially the Special Task Force, STF, charged with the responsibility of keeping peace in the State, but whose members are also being ambushed, attacked and killed.

Herdsmen on rampage; prowl villages

Few youths who stay behind in the villages report of Fulani herdsmen dressed in black, with faces covered, carrying dangerous weapons and roaming the vast land which they have forcefully taken over. Persistent distress calls to security agents have so far not yielded the desired result.

Most of these attacks which occurred when villagers were asleep have recently taken a new dimension as the gunmen now prowl the villages in the day time in defiance of the curfew imposed in the areas. On daily basis, there are reports of isolated killings, ambushes and attacks with mostly women and children being murdered in cold blood.

The residents claim the “unprovoked attacks are a ploy by the herdsmen to dislodge us from our ancestral homes and forcefully claim our lands. They hire mercenaries to intimidate and kill people and burn property; once you relocate, they take over.”

Speaking on the issue, the Chairman of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Mr. Emmanuel Loman said: “On Tuesday last week, there was another attack in Sho village in which a young man was killed; the attack was carried out by the Fulani. On Friday night/early Saturday morning, this same people waylaid and killed a security personnel and critically injured one. They always come in their hundreds and we know they have brought in mercenaries and if you see the mode of operation, it is being done professionally.

“They came with sophisticated weapons and their firearms are superior to those of the Special Task Force, STF. The police men that are stationed in Sho tried their best but throughout the night, there were gunshots in the village and its environs.”

Lamenting the attacks, Loman stressed thus: “It is a worrisome situation. We have been saying that these are terrorists, that the Federal Government should come to our aid but nothing has been done. What these people are saying is that this is their government; Buhari is their own, so this is the time that they will create havoc and seize the land. So, the Federal Government must do something. The President Buhari that I know will not welcome that nonsense; I don’t know whether information has reached him or not but I am using this medium to call on the President of this country to, as a matter of urgency, do something.

“I appreciate his effort in trying to tackle terrorism. I learnt he has been to Chad and other countries to talk to the leaders of these countries on how best to tackle terrorism. It is a good idea but back home, something must be done; I wish he will have the opportunity to come to Plateau and see for himself the havoc being caused by these terrorists. The Fulani, unfortunately, have submitted themselves to these barbaric acts but something must be done immediately.”

Many meetings, no positive result

The Chairman also disclosed that series of meetings have been held with Ardos (Heads of Fulani settlements) and other chiefs but there has been no positive result. According to him: “The way a Fulani man behaves is very funny. In the meetings, they will talk as if they don’t know what is happening nor the perpetrators, while in the real sense some of them support these attacks.

The kingpins are well known; we have submitted names to the security agencies but nothing has been done. If the kingpins are not properly handled to serve as a deterrent to others, I don’t think this thing will be solved.

“There is no time a Berom goes to attack a Fulani; it has never happened; it is always the Fulanis coming to attack the Beroms. What does that signify? The security agencies are aware of this fact. In fact, some of the security agents are also victims. Is that not reason enough for them to take an action that will bring this thing to an end? If the security agencies want this thing to come to an end, give them two days, they will do so.

“The Fulanis residing here with us go to neighbouring states and recruit mercenaries and bring them to kill people. Unfortunately, the military lacks sufficient manpower to cope with the problem. The point here is that the President moved the headquarters of the military to Maiduguri. Why not do a similar thing in the three local government areas:

Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Bokkos of Plateau; why not move a reasonable number of security agents to form a sub-headquarters there because we all share boundaries and these attacks mostly take place here? Why don’t they set up a place, station from where they can handle this thing once and for all instead of treating it with kid’s gloves?”

Loman added: “Some of the Fulanis will even tell you they don’t want this rubbish. At times you discover that when there is an attack, response from the security is very slow and by the time they arrive, the havoc had already been done. We are helpless and do not understand what else to do; but something must be done urgently because in Barkin Ladi alone, over 200 people have been killed since January this year.”

Ambushes and silent killings

Similarly, the Chairperson of Riyom Local Government Area, Mrs. Josephine Piyo, also narrated the ordeal of the people in her local government area.

She stated: “In fact, I cannot tell you this is the actual problem or the reason for these continuous attacks in Riyom and Barkin Ladi. Even what people regard fresh or renewed attacks after a break for some time, are not actually the case because there have been ambushes and silent killings on continuous basis.

“The security operatives have been trying in their own way but they really need to do a lot more because how do you regard a situation where you will contact security men that are supposed to be there to protect you and they will tell you that they have not been given orders to act? I think it is very unfortunate. Like in the situation in Shonong in the attack of Thursday May 28, just a day before the inauguration.

The military at Shonong told the people to run for dear lives; that the assailants were so many and they(security men) would not be able to contend with and repel them. The people fled after that; what followed was the looting and burning of people’s houses.

Why the Federal Government should urgently intervene

“A whole school has been completely razed down, all the buildings burnt; there is nothing in the place. This is why I am crying out to the Federal Government. I appreciate the President in his inaugural speech saying that he was going to make sure that terrorism or security challenges is completely wiped out in the whole country and has directed that the Defence Headquarters be relocated to Borno State to contain Boko Haram.

But I want to suggest that the President should also hear our cry here in the Plateau and other North Central states where the attacks are frequent. He should also re-enforce the number of security agents by posting many of them here. Plateau should be considered just like Borno because we are also experiencing terrorists attacks in the State. The steps taken in Maiduguri are encouraging; such should be extended to us here.”

Speaking on the problem in Wase, the member representing Wase Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. Idris Maje said: “The issue of security is not about one person. An individual does not have the capacity to stop insecurity, it is a collective issue, and it requires the cooperation of everybody.

“I have contributed my quota in solving the problem by calling everyone together and dialoguing with the warring parties. I want to believe the administrations of Governor Simon Lalong and President Buhari have been briefed and they will do whatever they will have to do to address the security issues in the land.”

Meantime, in the early hours of Friday last week, Rakung village of Barkin Ladi was attacked by gunmen with four people, a woman and three men, killed in the incident.

Captain Ikedichi Iweha, spokesman of the STF did not comment on the development as his mobile line was not reachable, but the Police spokesman, DSP Emmanuel Abuh said: “We have done all we can for this thing to come to an end. The people should try and settle their differences because we have talked to them, held series of meetings and sensitised them on the need for peace. We are still trying to end this; all security agencies are on their toes to see it end.”

Peace ambassadors to the rescue

Meanwhile, the Institute of Governance and Social Research, IGSR, in a bid to bring the insecurity problem to to an end has trained 502 persons, mainly Berom, Fulani and other youths, on how to arrest the cycle of violence in the six local government areas of Jos North, Jos South, Jos East, Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Bassa.

The President of the IGSR, Prof. Isawa Elaigwu who addressed the youths at their camp at the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, Shere Hills, Jos urged them not to allow anyone to use them in perpetrating violence.

He stressed: “Avoid using violence to settle differences; dialogue is the best answer. As you have been trained in these seven days in the Youth Peace Camp V, put the training in practice and resolve to be peace ambassadors in your various communities.”

The youths in a communiqué issued at the end of the training assured of stepping down the training to others in their communities as well as resolving not to make themselves agents of destruction in their communities.