For nearly two weeks or so, communities in Bokkos and Bassa local government areas of Plateau state have been turned into killing fields, with the death toll hitting over 100, according to emergency workers in the state. These recurring attacks have brought the violent attacks and deaths that used to be associated with lives on the Plateau.
Since the commencement of murderous assaults on the affected communities, about 2,000 persons have been displaced from their ancestral homes. These latest killings have raised fears and anxiety among citizens on the need by relevant agencies of government and other critical stakeholders to synergise in order to find lasting solutions to the violent attacks that have defied solution.
When the first attack took place two weeks ago in Bokkos communities, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu called on the Plateau state government to wade into the matter and stamp out the massive deaths caused by ethnic champions. Governor Caleb Mutfwang has accused a nebulous force of being behind the recurring killings and left the people desolate. His predecessor, Da David Jonah Jang, described the attacks as an act of motivation aimed at destroying the peace of the people.
In a statement he released yesterday on the latest attacks in Bassa communities that left about 51 people dead, Jang called on President Tinubu to convene an emergency meeting for critical stakeholders to have understanding on what to do to resolve the crisis that is taking too long to be tackled.
In his reasoning, such a meeting will provide a platform for stakeholders to appreciate the enormity of the problems.
In the statement the former governor issued yesterday, Jang declared: “Let’s call a spade a spade, I offer my deepest condolences to the government and people of Plateau state in the wake of the recent wave of attacks that have claimed numerous innocent lives. These senseless killings have caused pain and suffering for our great state and its people, and we must take immediate action to put an end to this violence. I commend Governor Caleb Mutfwang for his tireless efforts to find a lasting solution to this crisis. His dedication to the safety and well-being of Plateau citizens is truly commendable. I also applaud President Bola Tinubu for his determination to stop the senseless killings of innocent citizens.
This is not the first time these mindless murderers would come out in large numbers to unleash deadly attacks on the aged, women and children who are the major targets of the killers. When the renewed wave of attacks started in Bokkos, not many had thought it would reach such an alarming scale, with the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, deploying more equipment and personnel to restore law and order. Last week’s remedial measures by the police high command almost came too late as the killers expanded their deadly and fierce tentacles to Bassa LGA where they unleashed mayhem and destroyed property.
Despite several efforts by both past and present governments, the recurring crisis on the Plateau has remained unresolved. Within a span of two years, hundreds of people and communities have been incinerated, and over 50 communities sacked by invaders. Governor Mutfwang has said the invaders have already changed names of the communities in a bid to foreclose any attempt at ensuring the sacked communities return to their abodes. In two the affected local government areas of Bassa and Bokkos, the prospects of having displaced persons returned to their ancestral homes is dimming by the day, as the criminals continue to unleash terror on defenceless people.
There are many solutions that can be applied to end the recurring insecurity challenge in Plateau, but what is lacking is sincerity and purpose in dealing with the criminals that are devoted to undermining the sovereignty of the Nigerian state. Blueprint welcomes the government’s renewed efforts targeted at ending these attacks on communities, but the government must not spare any efforts to put a permanent stop to bloodbath on the Plateau. It is clear that while the killings may sometimes be classified as ethnic or religious, the truth is that what is needed now is a firm resolution in assembling both the victim and aggressor to embrace dialogue in order to stop the phenomenon. For too long, the Jos crisis has attracted more words than action. However, the time for action is now.
In the midst of renewed assaults on the peace-loving people of Plateau state, the time has come for the staging of an all stakeholders’ meeting that will lay bare all the issues in the open for final resolution. Nigerians cannot continue to witness these ceaseless bloodbaths that have continued to pitch one ethnic group against the other.