Reports say some Plateau State Peace Stakeholders consisting of Religious, Ethnic and
Community Leaders in conjunction with Security Agencies, Political
Parties and Local Government chairmanship Candidates from Plateau State
Northern Zone has on Tuesday raise security alarm of mass influx of
herdsmen from other States into Plateau State.
The Peace Stakeholders in a communiqué signed by the chairman of the
forum and the Catholic Bishop of Jos, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama,
Christians Association of Nigeria Pastor Agnes Lagang, Jamaatu Nasril
Islam (JNI) Alh. Yusuf Sarumi and Fulani Community Alhaji Haruna Boro
amongst security and Political parties leadership said the mass influx
of the herdsmen has the capacity to spark conflict with natives.
“Arising from dialogue and combined consultative meeting of
Religious and ethnic/ community leaders in conjunction with security
Agencies, Political Party leadership, and Local Government Candidates
for Plateau North held on Tuesday 6th February, 2018 at Dialogue,
Reconciliation and Peace Centre (DREP) Jos, make the following
observations”.
“We observe that there is mass influx of herdsmen from other States
into Plateau State. This has the capacity to spark conflict with
natives. We appeal to our native Fulani herdsmen with whom we have
coexisted peacefully to help in fishing out strange elements who invade
our communities to cause trouble”.
The stakeholders condemn in strong terms the growing spate of crime
such as kidnapping, pick pocketing and armed robbery across states.
“We also observe that most communities are becoming militarised as
possession of illegal firearms is rising. Armed proliferation can only
endanger our communities and expose us to more risks and we call on
citizens to cooperate with Security Agencies to protect us rather than
take the laws into our hands”.
However the Director General of the Plateau Peace Building Agency Mr
Joseph Lengmang has commended the Dialogue Reconciliation and Peace
Centre (DREP) toward supporting Government to achieved the desire peace
the state is yearning for.
According to him the stakeholders meeting is very key as the focus on
the emergence issues of conflict and find out lasting solutions
especially to the farmers and herders clashes in the state.
While speaking on the postponement of the Local Government elections
in the state by the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission as
result of security reasons Lengmang said the State cannot afford to make
mistakes of the past by going against the security report to conduct
the Local Government elections, saying the security of lives and
prosperity is very important by the Lalong administration in the state.
“When you see danger coming from afar, then the best thing is to avoid it,” he said.
Our correspondent gathered that real and serious threats to peace and
security in some parts of Plateau State actually informed the advice of
the State Security Council that compelled the State Independent
Electoral Commission to suspend conduct of the local government councils
elections that were billed to hold on February 17, 2018.
A source at the headquarters of the Plateau State Command of the
Nigeria Police yesterday night simply described the details of the
latest security report on the State as ” worrisome “, maintaining that ”
no responsible government or security council would have allowed the
elections go ahead when an intelligence report indicates clearly eminent
dangers and plans by some unpatriotic elements to use the occasion to
cause mischief “.
According to the source, given the benefit of hindsight, the security
agencies in the State, as part of the build up to the elections,
intensified coordinated security surveillance across the state, and were
particularly vigilante because of the violent clashes and insurgency
activities in neighbouring States.
He said the report shows that some local government areas especially
in Plateau North and Plateau South senatorial zones were rendered
veritable flash points for violence, and the perpetrators have planned
to factor into the opportunity of any disagreement or altercation to
unleash such confusion that will cause real break down of law and order
with severe implications for peace.
He blamed part of the problem on ineffective border patrol and
surveillance, a situation, he explained, underpin cross-border crimes
and criminal fraternities, and providing opportunity for criminals to
seek and take refuge in States or country other than theirs.
Given the bloody activities of herdsmen and hoodlums in recent times
especially in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria, it is feared that any
breakdown of law and order now could escalate easily and degenerate into
such sectarian commotion that Will take a huge toll on human lives and
the desired environment for social, political, and economic development.
He maintained that also contained in the report is anger among
politicians in the different political parties arising especially from
the internal processes that produced candidates for various positions in
the same local government elections. He said reconciliation and party
harmony are vital for a peaceful elections atmosphere. Angry and
aggrieved politicians could explore a background full of criminal
elements to commit mischief and all manner of electoral shenanigans.
However, reacting to the development yesterday, Plateau State chapter
of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Hon Damishi Sango, described the
action as premeditated and conjectured.