•Arise and defend yourselves—M’Belt leaders tell communities
•Accuse FG, security agencies of complicity in killings
•Call on AU, ICC to intervene; Obasanjo in Jos, wants root cause identified
•Buhari, Saraki, Dogara in closed-door meeting;
•Arrest perpetrators of killings— APC
Confusion as IGP reverses deployment of Plateau CP Jos–Violent protests, yesterday, rocked Plateau State Government House, Jos, following last weekend’s killing of over one hundred persons in three local government areas of the state.
The otherwise peaceful protests turned violent when no government official came out of their offices to address the protesters.
The protests came on a day the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, called on communities in the region to arise and defend themselves against unabated pogrom being launched at them by herdsmen.
This came as former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited Jos yesterday, and asked the federal and Plateau State governments to identify the root cause(s) of insecurity and deal with them, so people could get reprieve from the incessant violence plaguing the land.
President Muhammadu Buhari also yesterday met with Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, with a promise to re-oganise the nation’s security apparatus to address the herdsmen crisis in the country once and for all.
The protesters threw stones, damaging some cars parked at one of the parking lot at the new Government House as well as some offices. Among the damaged cars were those belonging to two journalists, Peter Amine of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, and Douglas Francis of Core TV.
The protest The protesters had converged on the old airport junction and marched to Government House but were initially prevented from getting access to the premises.
Some of the protesters, however, climbed the fence of the complex to gain access, forcing security men deployed to Government House to open the gate.
They had expressed displeasure at not being received by any government official, even as Mr. Joseph Lengman, Director, Peace Building Agency, who was detailed to address the protesters scampered for safety.
The situation turned violent when some of the protesters ran after the fleeing government officials, trying to stop them from leaving the premises.
Offices of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Permanent Secretary, Government House and other top officials of government were also attacked. The defiant protesters defied all entreaties to stop the protests, and this compelled security operatives at Government House to start shooting to scare them away.
They stood their ground, demanding to see the governor to register their displeasure over the killings as well as his stance on the ranching policy. At the time of the protest, Governor, Simon Lalong was out of office, visiting the about 50 victims of the attacks who are currently receiving treatment at Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH.
Saraki in Jos
Meanwhile, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, was in the state yesterday to commiserate with the governor and the people over the killings.
Saraki conveyed the condolences of the National Assembly to the people, assuring that they would be there for the state in whatever way it needed the National Assembly’s assistance.
He called on the people to work together with the governor to overcome the challenges and tasked security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous act.
He also urged the governor to “be fair and just” in dealing with the situation.
In his response, Governor Lalong thanked Saraki and the National Assembly for identifying with the state, stressing he was shocked at the killings, especially coming from the very people who gave the state government a road map to peace. The governor assured that he was working with all stakeholders to ensure the situation did not spread to other areas.
Defend yourselves Meanwhile, the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, yesterday, called on communities in the region to arise and defend themselves against unabated pogrom being launched at them by herdsmen.
Reacting to last weekend’s killings in Plateau State, President of the Forum, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, who made the call at a media briefing in Abuja, said the killings going on in the Middle Belt were unacceptable.
He argued that the call for self-defence had become imperative since the government has abdicated its responsibility to protect them.
“Section 33 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to life and nobody should be deprived of that right. The right to private self-defence is constitutionally recognized to protect that right to life,” he said.
Bitrus, who indicted the security agencies as culpable of conspiracy in the killings, said: “In very many cases, the circumstances surrounding the killings and destruction suggest that there is complicity by the leadership of security and intelligence agencies.
“Besides, the forum has asked the international community, African Union, AU, to condemn and call to order the federal government for failing in its responsibility to protect the people of the Middle Belt.
Bitrus, who also noted that the African Union’s silence was no longer golden as Nigeria had been on the road to the genocide in Rwanda with the African Union maintaining silence, however, called on the International Criminal Court, ICC, to investigate the genocide in the Middle Belt and bring the perpetrators to justice.
He stated further: “We call on the entire people of the Middle Belt to organize themselves in their communities to defend themselves and their property as the government has abdicated its responsibility to protect them. “Section 33 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to life and nobody should be deprived of that right. The right to private self defence is constitutionally recognized to protect that right to life.
“Governments of all states in the Middle Belt should as a matter of urgency support communities in the Middle Belt to train vigilante groups on ways of repelling external aggression of the sort communities in our homelands have been subjected to in the last two decades.
“Governors of the states of the Middle Belt should urgently bring to the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari the need to bring to an end this undeclared war against the people of the Middle Belt as it has the potential of degenerating to a state of anarchy.”
The Forum also called on President Buhari to immediately reconstitute the top echelon of the security forces. “The people of the Middle Belt have every reason to suspect that the top echelon of the security forces is unwilling or unable to protect them.
Defend yourselves
Meanwhile, the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, yesterday, called on communities in the region to arise and defend themselves against unabated pogrom being launched at them by herdsmen.
Reacting to last weekend’s killings in Plateau State, President of the Forum, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, who made the call at a media briefing in Abuja, said the killings going on in the Middle Belt were unacceptable.
He argued that the call for self-defence had become imperative since the government has abdicated its responsibility to protect them.
Source: The Vanguard
•Accuse FG, security agencies of complicity in killings
•Call on AU, ICC to intervene; Obasanjo in Jos, wants root cause identified
•Buhari, Saraki, Dogara in closed-door meeting;
•Arrest perpetrators of killings— APC
Confusion as IGP reverses deployment of Plateau CP Jos–Violent protests, yesterday, rocked Plateau State Government House, Jos, following last weekend’s killing of over one hundred persons in three local government areas of the state.
The otherwise peaceful protests turned violent when no government official came out of their offices to address the protesters.
 |
| People protesting the attacks and killings in Plateau State, at the Government House, Jos, Wednesday. Photos: NAN. |
This came as former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited Jos yesterday, and asked the federal and Plateau State governments to identify the root cause(s) of insecurity and deal with them, so people could get reprieve from the incessant violence plaguing the land.
President Muhammadu Buhari also yesterday met with Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, with a promise to re-oganise the nation’s security apparatus to address the herdsmen crisis in the country once and for all.
The protesters threw stones, damaging some cars parked at one of the parking lot at the new Government House as well as some offices. Among the damaged cars were those belonging to two journalists, Peter Amine of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, and Douglas Francis of Core TV.
The protest The protesters had converged on the old airport junction and marched to Government House but were initially prevented from getting access to the premises.
Some of the protesters, however, climbed the fence of the complex to gain access, forcing security men deployed to Government House to open the gate.
They had expressed displeasure at not being received by any government official, even as Mr. Joseph Lengman, Director, Peace Building Agency, who was detailed to address the protesters scampered for safety.
The situation turned violent when some of the protesters ran after the fleeing government officials, trying to stop them from leaving the premises.
Offices of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Permanent Secretary, Government House and other top officials of government were also attacked. The defiant protesters defied all entreaties to stop the protests, and this compelled security operatives at Government House to start shooting to scare them away.
They stood their ground, demanding to see the governor to register their displeasure over the killings as well as his stance on the ranching policy. At the time of the protest, Governor, Simon Lalong was out of office, visiting the about 50 victims of the attacks who are currently receiving treatment at Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH.
Saraki in Jos
Meanwhile, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, was in the state yesterday to commiserate with the governor and the people over the killings.
Saraki conveyed the condolences of the National Assembly to the people, assuring that they would be there for the state in whatever way it needed the National Assembly’s assistance.
He called on the people to work together with the governor to overcome the challenges and tasked security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous act.
He also urged the governor to “be fair and just” in dealing with the situation.
In his response, Governor Lalong thanked Saraki and the National Assembly for identifying with the state, stressing he was shocked at the killings, especially coming from the very people who gave the state government a road map to peace. The governor assured that he was working with all stakeholders to ensure the situation did not spread to other areas.
Defend yourselves Meanwhile, the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, yesterday, called on communities in the region to arise and defend themselves against unabated pogrom being launched at them by herdsmen.
Reacting to last weekend’s killings in Plateau State, President of the Forum, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, who made the call at a media briefing in Abuja, said the killings going on in the Middle Belt were unacceptable.
He argued that the call for self-defence had become imperative since the government has abdicated its responsibility to protect them.
“Section 33 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to life and nobody should be deprived of that right. The right to private self-defence is constitutionally recognized to protect that right to life,” he said.
Bitrus, who indicted the security agencies as culpable of conspiracy in the killings, said: “In very many cases, the circumstances surrounding the killings and destruction suggest that there is complicity by the leadership of security and intelligence agencies.
“Besides, the forum has asked the international community, African Union, AU, to condemn and call to order the federal government for failing in its responsibility to protect the people of the Middle Belt.
Bitrus, who also noted that the African Union’s silence was no longer golden as Nigeria had been on the road to the genocide in Rwanda with the African Union maintaining silence, however, called on the International Criminal Court, ICC, to investigate the genocide in the Middle Belt and bring the perpetrators to justice.
He stated further: “We call on the entire people of the Middle Belt to organize themselves in their communities to defend themselves and their property as the government has abdicated its responsibility to protect them. “Section 33 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to life and nobody should be deprived of that right. The right to private self defence is constitutionally recognized to protect that right to life.
“Governments of all states in the Middle Belt should as a matter of urgency support communities in the Middle Belt to train vigilante groups on ways of repelling external aggression of the sort communities in our homelands have been subjected to in the last two decades.
“Governors of the states of the Middle Belt should urgently bring to the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari the need to bring to an end this undeclared war against the people of the Middle Belt as it has the potential of degenerating to a state of anarchy.”
The Forum also called on President Buhari to immediately reconstitute the top echelon of the security forces. “The people of the Middle Belt have every reason to suspect that the top echelon of the security forces is unwilling or unable to protect them.
Defend yourselves
Meanwhile, the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, yesterday, called on communities in the region to arise and defend themselves against unabated pogrom being launched at them by herdsmen.
Reacting to last weekend’s killings in Plateau State, President of the Forum, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, who made the call at a media briefing in Abuja, said the killings going on in the Middle Belt were unacceptable.
He argued that the call for self-defence had become imperative since the government has abdicated its responsibility to protect them.
Source: The Vanguard
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