THISDAY

ENDING THE CARNAGE IN PLATEAU STATE

Culprits should be prosecuted and punished

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After a few years of relative peace, Plateau State has now relapsed into full-scale violence. Despite the 24hour curfew declared by Governor Caleb Mutfwang, destructio­ns and killings have continued unabated just as leaders of Christian and Islamic religious groups are trading accusation­s between themselves while also same time accusing the military and some vigilante groups of taking sides in the FRQÁLFW :KDW FRPSRXQGV WKH FKDOOHQJH LV WKDW WKH governor hails from Mangu local government area, the latest theatre of violence.

Since 2001, Plateau State has been embroiled in this ruinous crisis that has claimed thousands of lives. Hundreds of thousands of others KDYH DOVR KDG WR ÁHH their homes and take refuge in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. The scope of the FRQÁLFW KDV HVFDODWHG LQ recent weeks and is now assuming a dangerous dimension. All sides now exploit religion as a tool to mobilise large-scale support and a cloak to impunity, and attack opponents and innocent people. At the centre of this crisis are age-long emotional issues of ‘settlers’ and ‘indigenes’ which require political sagacity to resolve by all critical stakeholde­rs. Sadly, community elders as well as the political and religious leaders who ordinarily should help in bringing peace are most often the ones leading the rhetoric of hate that in turn ignites the spiral of violence.

:H DSSHDO WR RXU UHOLJLRXV OHDGHUV WR H[HUFLVH caution in their actions and utterances. “Religious bodies should do more to preach peace, tolerance, and harmonious co-existence than invest so much HQHUJ\ LQ IDQQLQJ WKH HPEHUV RI GLVDͿHFWLR­Q and misleading the public”, Musa Ashom, the state Commission­er for Communicat­ion and ,QIRUPDWLRQ VDLG GXULQJ WKH ZHHN :H DOVR DSSHDO to the media that times like this call for restraint in the reportage (and slanting) of news so that we do not unwittingl­y provide platforms for purveyors of violence and hate. It is particular­ly important to note that giving undue prominence to incendiary remarks will not in any way advance the cause of peace which we really need for us to successful­ly navigate this troubled season.

The spiral of revenge killings started last December when almost 200 people were mowed down across several communitie­s in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi and Mangu local government­s. The assailants targeted 17 communitie­s in senseless and unprovoked attacks, and burning down many houses in the area.

A major cause of the violence and aggravated tension in Plateau State and several other theatres across the country is over access to land, especially between nomads and peasant farmers. As we have stated repeatedly, the solution is to address headlong the perennial problem of grazing rights. The pastoral lifestyle as an aspect of our inherited culture has become a national security challenge and no longer tenable. Unfortunat­ely, successive administra­tions in the country have continued WR SURͿHU WKH VDPH PHGLHYDO VROXWLRQ WKDW RQO\ compounds the problem.

Violence keeps recurring not only in Plateau State, but indeed across the country because the perpetrato­rs always get away with their sordid act since those responsibl­e are never prosecuted and brought to justice

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recurring not only in Plateau State, but indeed across the country because the perpetrato­rs always get away with their sordid act since those responsibl­e are never prosecuted and brought to justice. Issues of proliferat­ion of light arms, intelligen­ce gathering and quick response to attacks and dispensati­on of justice for deterrence SXUSRVHV PXVW EH DGGUHVVHG GHFLVLYHO\ :LWKRXW DQ\ FRQVFLRXV HͿRUWV LQ WKDW GLUHFWLRQ LW ZLOO EH GL΀FXOW WR EULQJ DQ HQG WR WKH VSLUDO RI YLROHQFH that has unwittingl­y turned our country into one ELJ NLOOLQJ ÀHOG

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