HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has condemned the Plateau State governor for standing by and watching in an unbelievable way as Plateau State Christians are killed, stating that, this shows weakness on the part of the state governor, Simon Lalong.
“The Plateau State governor Mr. Simon Lalong has indeed proven time without number to be a very weak leader of his people who have consistently come under persistent and vicious attacks against Plateau Christian native communities by armed Fulani herdsmen. The Christian communities were constantly attacked but Simon Lalong took no drastic security action not until unknown gunmen wickedly shot and killed scores of innocent Moslem travelers then he woke up from slumber exactly when the biased Presidency officials started barking like attack dogs, the Plateau State weak governor then declared a 24hours curfew but this measure did not stop the invasion of Plateau communities again for the umpteenth time by armed Fulani herdsmen who massacred many Christians.”
The Rights group wondered how armed Fulani herdsmen beat the military curfew in Plateau state in the last twenty-four hours and killed many people just as the Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy group carpeted the General officer commanding 3rd division of the Nigerian Army, the Director of Department of state services, Commissioner of Police for doing nothing to prevent the renewed violence.
“The Irigwe people who are hosts of the headquarters of 3rd Army division in Jos had alleged complicity between the Army Commander and the killer Fulani squads but the Federal and Plateau State administrations said nothing but the President only spoke out when some innocent Moslem travelers coming from Bauchi to Ondo were killed by unknown gunmen and this selective outrage by Federal government is despicable and reprehensible. President Muhammadu Buhari’s outrage against the dastardly act of terror against the scores of Moslem travellers by unknown gunmen becomes ludicrous when we realise that this same President and his officials said nothing when on many occasions armed Fulani herdsmen invaded Plateau State communities and killed natives.
They equally recalled that in 2018, the Plateau State Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association justified the massacre of over 100 native Christians in Plateau State because according to them, it was a retaliation for the theft of 100 cows but President Muhammadu Buhari never ordered the arrest of this supporter of mass murder but he woke up from slumber in 2021 when some terrorists attacked innocent Moslem travelers.
It’s over 18 hours since it was reported that armed marauders invaded communities in Plateau State amidst the so called curfew but we are yet to hear one word of condemnation and action from President Muhammadu Buhari”.
According to HURIWA, despite the dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed on Bassa and other two Local Government Areas, suspected herdsmen on Tuesday night killed five persons in Chando-Zrrechi (Tafi-Gana) of Miango District in Bassa Plateau State. The gunmen reportedly stormed the communities, shooting sporadically. The community leader called on security operatives and government to put a stop to the killings.
HURIWA therefore, is charging the Plateau State governor to stand up, speak out and take concrete action to stop the attacks on Christians by armed Fulani herdsmen and indeed stop all attacks on citizens irrespective of their Ethno-Religious affiliation. “Plateau State governor by his lacklustre approach to the genocides in Plateau State since 2015 is showing that he is a failed Chief executive of Plateau State and history and posterity will judge him harshly”.
