The recent violent assaults in Plateau State have been denounced by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, who calls for coordinated measures to break the cycle of violence.
At least fifty people were killed when gunmen broke into multiple villages in the state’s Bokkos Local Government Area last week.
Speaking during a visit to the headquarters of Operation Safe Haven on Sunday, the security outfit in charge of Plateau, Ribadu said, “We are going through tough times, difficult times, but it’s not going to be forever. The issue of security is for all of us. We all have to come together. Everyone has a role to play.”
He continued, “Communities—those who have been living together for years and decades—it’s time for us to say enough is enough. We have lost many people. But it’s not exactly like the figures you see out there. But even one soul lost is a lot.”
The NSA encouraged the public to assist security personnel and commended their efforts. “Our security forces are doing well. But our communities can do even better,” he added.
Ribadu also appealed to the media to ensure accurate reporting, stating, “Telling the truth helps us get through this together. It helps us feel. It helps us keep our contracts and live in peace and security.”
Although the situation is not new, he pointed out that knowledge of its past is necessary to find long-term solutions. “When people who live together as one community are unable to resolve issues peacefully, miscreants and criminals take advantage,” he said.
Ribadu assured that security conditions have improved, saying, “Things have changed and improved and will get even better as we move forward across the country and on the Plateau as well. This incident we witnessed over the last 10 days—hopefully, we will not see it again.”
He claims that in the last ten months, the number of violent fatalities in 2023 has decreased by more than 90%.
Caleb Muftwang, the governor of Plateau State, has pledged to see that those responsible for the Bokkos killings are held accountable.
“I want to assure you that the lives lost in Bokkos will not be in vain,” Muftwang said. “Some advised that we cancel this meeting due to the tragic circumstances, but after wide consultations with our leaders both at home and in the Diaspora, we decided to forge ahead. We cannot let those behind these heinous acts think they have broken our spirit.”
He lamented the targeted nature of the attacks: “Since the December 2023 attacks, we had begun reclaiming our identity as the Home of Peace and Tourism. For over a year, we recorded no major incidents. But these attacks are clearly orchestrated, deliberate attempts to impoverish and intimidate our people at the start of every farming season.”
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Muftwang declared, “The era of arrest without prosecution is over,” while confirming that some individuals had been captured.
Additionally, he urged the 54 ethnic groups that make up Plateau State’s population in Abuja to stick together and defend the principles of hospitality, excellence, tolerance, hard work, peace, and togetherness.
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) responded as well, calling the deaths “tragic and unacceptable.” The ACF called on the Federal Government to take decisive action in a statement released by Professor Tukur Muhammad Baba, its National Publicity Secretary.
“To the Federal Government, constitutionally responsible for the protection of lives and properties of citizens, ACF wishes to draw attention, for the umpteenth time, to the deterioration in the state of security in Arewa communities and elsewhere in Nigeria,” the Forum stated.
It called on the government to “declare a state of security emergency on vulnerable and banditry-prone communities and to initiate effective early-warning and early-response strategies that incorporate the participation of community members.”
The violence was also denounced by the Christian Association of Nigeria’s Northern branch. Its Chairman, Reverend Joseph John Hayab, said in a statement from Kaduna on Sunday, “We condemn in totality this strange and evil culture of taking human lives. Hiding under religion, ethnicity or any guise to unleash terror on communities is unacceptable.”
He added, “Our societal value for human life has dangerously eroded and this must not be allowed to continue.”
The Christian body called on community, religious, and traditional leaders to advocate for harmony and peace.
The National Emergency Management Agency and the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) have started a quick evaluation of the impacted villages in reaction to the assaults’ humanitarian effect.
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In order to determine the immediate requirements and assess the extent of the damage, assessment teams are presently on the ground. By President Bola Tinubu’s direction, relief goods that have been authorised by the Federal Government are also being readied for distribution.
In order to support the work of its Zonal Office in Jos and guarantee efficient coordination of relief activities, NEMA also announced that a high-level delegation from its headquarters, headed by the Director-General, is travelling to the state.
