Photo: Gov Caleb Mutfwang.
Lack of political will to tackle terrorists responsible for Plateau killings —Mutfwang
Plateau State Gov Caleb Mutfwang has blamed the Federal Government for the incessant attacks and killing of residents on some communities in Plateau State, attributing it to “lack of political will” to tackle terrorists.
It would be recalled that suspected Fulani terrorists launched a series of attacks in the Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas on Christmas Eve, which claimed over nearly 200 lives and displaced hundreds.
Gov Mutfwang, who made this known during a live interview program, Sunrise Daily, on Channels Television on Tuesday, described the attacks as “unprovoked” and slammed security agencies for their “reactionary strategy” instead of proactive measures.
The Governor noted that terrorists had been occupying some schools in the Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area for five years.
He said: “As I am talking to you today, in Barkin-Ladi Local Government, schools have been occupied by these terrorists for some years now. Not less than 64 communities have been displaced and the lands have been taken over by these marauding terrorists.
“Some schools in Barkin-Ladi have been occupied by terrorists for five years, children in those schools have had to relocate, and primary healthcare centres have also been abandoned.”
According to the governor, lack of arrests and prosecutions are contributing factors to the ongoing crisis, and some citizens of the states feel their attackers are being protected.
“Under the last government in the state, the feeling of the people in Plateau State, particularly the victims of these terrorist attacks, is that, it looks as if the terrorists were given official government backing to be able to terrorise them because little or nothing was done to repel these attacks,” he added.
Gov Mutfwang called on President Bola Tinubu to summon the political will to give instructions to security agencies to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria and even the internal integrity of land boundaries.
He stressed the importance of lawful land acquisition, urging those seeking land on the Plateau to engage in negotiation and settlement with communities.
“There are ways of acquiring land, not through violence and we must be able to resort to constitutionalism in dealing with these issues.
“People who want land on the Plateau are free to approach the communities, negotiate and settle in those communities.
“I don’t think people will refuse but where they resort to violence to take over those lands, you will be sure that this is a time bomb.
“It will reach a time when people react, and we are going to have a large-scale conflict. I pray we don’t get to that point,” the Governor warned.
