Babale community, which used to be one of the most peaceful in the border communities in Plateau and Bauchi states, was engulfed in crisis recently. In addition to sending troops to maintaining law and order, the Commander, Special Task Force, STF, Operation Save Haven, Major General David Enetie, visited Babale community on a peace-building mission. Muhammad Tanko Shittu reports.
In line with international best practices and conscious of its mandate, the Special Task Force, STF, under its Commander, Major- General David Enetie has continued to consolidate its civil military relations through community relations.
This efforts across the nook and crannies of STF’s Area of Responsibilities, AOR, has not only earn the task force commendations, but further ensured peaceful coexistence and peaceful resolution of conflict in various communities in the states.
It is based on this, that STF Commander visited Babale community in Plateau state . This community which has hitherto been very peaceful was engulfed in crisis which led to destruction of lives and property.
Babale village is a community in Jos North Local Government Area, of Plateau State, situated at the extreme end North of the state, and borders Bauchi State from the South.
The community though with mixed inhabitants of different tribes and religion, who had been inexistence peacefully, for decades, until penultimate week, when they found themselves in an ugly situation of crisis which had consumed the life of persons.
Though two persons died as a result of a car accident, which has caused the avoidable crisis, that could have been resolved.
One person was alleged to have been killed by a mobile police, as the crisis ensued, a situation that had further aggravated the already built tension in the community.
Speaking on the incidence, a youth leader, Sani Muhammad Babale told Blueprint that several people were injured and seven houses were burnt.
He said: “On Tuesday morning, a car was coming and a motorcyclist was also coming from the other side of the road, and on the course of the car driver trying to dodged from a ditch on the high way, an accident occurred where he hit the motorcycle and the two youths one of whom was a Muslim by name Usaini Ismail and the other Christian died .”
He said violent erupted thereafter, the Muslims youths have gone to sealed the ditched, an action which the Christians youth resisted.
Sani explained that men of the Special Task Force (STF), had taken control of the situation, and everything is calm, even though tensions still mount early morning, which if not for the prompt respond from the men of the STF, who had averted attempts, the situation would have gotten out of hand.
To assure the community of its desire to build peace, STF Commander, Major General David Enetie with other security chiefs in plateau state visited Babale and interacted with the people directly to know the issues and proffer solution.
In his interaction with various stakeholders, Major General Enetie assured the people of Babale community, of the STF readiness to providing them with adequate security.
Enetie said he led other heads of the security chiefs in state, to the community because he knew that Babale has been a peaceful community .
He said: “We are here in respect to what had happened last week, which was not good, most especially that our record have it that Babale is a peaceful community. We used to know Babale for its peace. but all of the sudden the community was into fighting.”
Enetie expressed hope that from now on there will be no more fight adding that there was no need for destruction of property.
He said I learnt that the ditch that was dig on the highway has been sealed, a situation which has brought the crisis.
The commander said that there was no need for the people to burnt their house, stressed that he hope there will be no more burning of houses.
“Without peace there will be no meaningful development, and security is everybody’s business,” he added.
According to him they are at the community; “so that we can interact, in order to have a peaceful community.”
Members of the community who spoke told the commander that they are concerned about the porous situation of their bother community.
In his comment, a stakeholder Sule Ciroma raise concern about porous border between their community in Bauchi state and plateau state
He said: “we are resident of the bother and the bother is porous, while on the side of Bauchi there is tight security while on the side of Plateau there are not. So we want you to talk to the state governor to ensure, that security are send to protect us,” he urged.
The commander promised to deploy more troops will be permanently stationed in the area to secure the border communities.
He said that members of the community should accept security operatives as part of them stressing that they are also Nigerian citizens.
“ I employ you to accept security agencies ,because they are also Nigerian citizens. We will also tell them to accept and cooperate with you in the course of their duties,” he added.
Other members of the community explained that their concern for now was their children from both sides of the communities who were still in police detention. They raise concern about the health of their children and urged STF Commander to intervene.
“We do not even know their conditions for now,” they said.
Enetie said while responding, that the matter will be looked into seriously, urging members of the community to ensure that their youths behave well in accordance with law.
“I am employing you to remain peaceful,” he encourage.
The commander also interacted with a retired soldier who frowned at the proliferations of small and medium arms.
Enetie said such proliferation of arms are part of the major problems of the country.
“When you served in the Military, then there were no too much arms or even using helicopter to bomb communities, so we need to be in peace,” Enetie appealed.
Garba Usman Babale commended STF for their prompt response noting such response helped in saving the situation.
He said that if leaders will do what Enetie has done by visiting them himself to assess their situation and to also interact with them, a lot of problems will have been over come in the country.
On his part Pam Sule drew the attention of the STF Commander, and the public generally over the issue of hunters, stressing that such hunters should at this situation be doing their hunting far away from People’s settlements, saying people are now becoming apprehensive, easily.
While Yunusa Muhammad told the commander that leadership has been a great problem within the community, saying the former community leader who is a Christian does not discriminate, on the bases of religion or tribe, the serving community leader is lacking in his style of leadership.
Enetie appreciated members of the community, at which they recognized the good qualities of the former leader of the community who was in attendance at the interactive session, Enetie urged the people not to abortion blames on the new leadership, but to continue to encourage him to improve on his weaknesses.
Members of the community also complaint of been neglected by government, recalling that since the regime of former military administrator of the state Col. Lawrence Onoja, who had visited the village and had provided water and electricity to the area, no presence of government facilities are cited in the community.
General Enetie, told the Babale community that the STF will look into some of their demands with a view at providing what it will be able to do.
He said there was chaos and youths from both sides were throwing stones against each other.
