By Ezekiel Dontinna
President of the apex body of Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives, (PIDAN), the umbrella body of all the Indigenous Ethnic Nationalities Development Associations, has raised eyebrows demanding full investigation into the genocide on the Plateau.
The President, Ambassador Nanpon Danjuma Sheni, stated this while addressing Journalists at the press briefing in Jos, the Plateau State capital following recent attacks on innocent citizens of Bokkos Local Government Area.
He said, “I have invited you here to condemn and express deep sadness and disappointment over the recurrent and persistent attacks on various parts of our communities in Plateau State, particularly the Central and Northern zones- Bokkos, Irigwe, Mangu, Barkin Ladi, etc.
“The latest unprovoked, cowardly and widespread attacks of defenseless women and children and unarmed men in Bokkos, demonstrate clearly that there are evil forces who are determined to make our state ungovernable for reasons best known to them.
“This time around, PIDAN demands full investigations to this obvious genocide against our people. For far long, Plateau State has been in the eyes of storm with our people being slaughtered in their homes and forcibly driven away from their farmlands”, he emphasized.
Ambassador Sheni, however, expressed grievance that the routine and unprovoked attacks have forced their communities to live in perpetual fear, sleeping with one eye closed.
He, therefore, called on the security agencies, particularly the Police, and Operation Safe Haven( OPSH) to up their game and be more proactive by taking immediate steps to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators as well as the sponsors of these heinous crimes.
“If the intention of the perpetrators is to take over the ancestral lands of our communities, let them be informed that they are wasting their time, as our people will resist to the last man, such dubious and evil plans.
“For some of our people who connive with external groups determined to undermine our very existence, I say to them” “shame on you”. Your day of reckoning is at time. The patience of our people has reached its limits.
“PIDAN at the National level cannot afford to stand aloof in the face of these unjustified attacks on our people. For our people and friends on the Plateau, I charge you all to be vigilant at all times. Security is everyone’s business. An attack on one is an attack on all”, PIDAN President reiterated.
Meanwhile, he has called on the State and Federal Governments and all people of goodwill to urgently provide humanitarian assistance to the victims of these unprovoked and condemnable attacks.
The President said, updates from the Hurti, Manguna and other places indicate that several unarmed women, children and others were brutally murdered in their homes and that, currently, many homes had been completely burnt with thousands of people in IDP camps.
He appealed to relevant authorities to, as matter urgency, come to the aid of his people because, there was a dire need of emergency medical services and food supplies to help cushion the hash conditions their were tight to.
PIDAN, commended the action of His Excellency, Governor Caleb Mannaseh Mutfwang, for demonstrating a good leadership quality by personally visiting and condoling with the victims, before the latest attacks which over 60 people were reportedly killed.
He, therefore, on behalf of PIDAN representing over 56 indigenous (autochthonous) ethics nationalities on the Plateau, extended their deepest condolences to all the families of those who lost their loved ones in various attacks within last couple of months.
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