Nigerian security agencies have been urged to regularly evaluate their operational strategies in the interest of restoring lasting peace as the crisis in Plateau State continues to worsen after at least 30 people were killed in the Mangu Local Council of the state on Wednesday.
Even as the Coalition of the Plateau State Indigenous Fulani Association asserted that the state government had not apologized for the deaths of at least nine of its members in January, claiming that the state was the target of an attempt at ethnic cleansing.
The Mangu crisis began in the morning of January 23, 2024, on the outskirts of the local council. Later that day, it spread into the town and turned into what appeared to be an ethno-religious conflict, with many places of worship being set ablaze.
A well-planned terrorist attack that killed 195 people in the Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi areas of the state came just a month after the murders in Mangu. 29,350 people were displaced and 84 communities in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi were affected by the attack.
The coordinated attack also caused 27 houses to burn and injured 301 people, according to the Red Cross.
Major-General Lawrence Onoja (rtd), the state’s former military governor, advocated for a new approach to containing the crisis, stating that adhering to a single operational style would render the services and operations of the security agencies ineffective, allowing bandits, criminals, and kidnappers to freely operate.
During the interdenominational service of thanksgiving for the Supreme Court’s affirmation of Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s election victory last Friday, which took place at the Rwang Pam Township Stadium in Jos, Onoja said that criminals always study military tactics to know when and how to strike and cause a devastating impact.
The Coalition of the Plateau State Indigenous Fulani Association claims that the Fulani victims were murdered in cold blood while carrying out their legitimate activities.
The Coalition stated that it has lost faith in the state government, despite having faith in the state’s Special Task Force known as Operation Safe Haven (OPSH).
Yesterday, the seven-member coalition’s leader, Muhammad Nuru Abdullahi, who is also the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), addressed journalists and stated: We have lost faith in the government of Plateau State.
Abdullahi said that the call to the locals to defend themselves was the root of their concern, and he also said that a huge awareness campaign was going on in the rural communities.
How can peace and development be sustained? We strongly believe that this is concerning. Additionally, we believe that the state is massively mobilized and prepared for a bloodbath that will continue unabated.
He stated, “We, at this point, make a distress call to both the federal and state governments to take immediate steps to halt further killings and destruction.”
As “we have lost hope in the Plateau State government,” he urged the Federal Government to convene a powerful dialogue and reconciliation committee to investigate the immediate and distant causes of the ongoing conflict.
He stated, “He alleged that there is a plot to begin an ethnic cleansing of Fulani.” Reports stating the true and favorable position of the Fulanis are suppressed by the Plateau State government because of its control over the media.
In the meantime, the entire resurgence of violence in the state’s Mangu local council has been categorically condemned by the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) chapter in Plateau State.
The state government had to impose a curfew in the local council from dusk to dawn because of this. It’s possible that this action was timely. Sadly, the implementation becomes problematic due to the evident overstretch and alleged compromise of some security personnel.
“Reports from Mangu town this morning are not encouraging, as religious schools and places of worship were set ablaze and destroyed, and the killings continue. According to a statement that was released yesterday by Dr. Salim Musa Umar, Secretary of JNI, Plateau State, “residents are decrying the negative role of the state government security outfit that is codenamed ‘Operation Rainbow,’” and accusing them of glaring partisanship.
The Rainbow Project. Photo: plateaunewsonline’s statement also stated: “We ask the government and security agencies to work harder to protect the people’s lives and property in Mangu and other hotspots.” Additionally, everyone involved ought to do everything in their power to stop any potential escalation.
“It is widely alleged that hired killers are on the prowl with the intention of carrying out massive attacks on Muslims in the community, so security agents should be on the lookout for potential infiltrators. This is a wrongdoing that cannot continue.
In order to restore peace and order in Mangu LGA and other affected communities, all hands must be on deck. Peace is incomparable. All parties involved must work openly and objectively to restore sanity.
Additionally, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has urged state residents and other agitators to put down their weapons and embrace peace.
The organization for human rights called the willful destruction of lives and property barbaric and satanic. Additionally, it urged the populace to acquire peaceful coexistence skills.
The group said, in a statement that was signed by Prof. Ishaq Akintola, its Executive Director:
Eight people have died as a result of the ongoing crisis in Mangu, Plateau State. Two churches and six mosques have been set on fire.
The central mosque, the Anguwan Dawo Jumat Mosque, is one of the burned mosques. Burning also occurred at Audi Islamiyyah, an Islamic school. Deden and Assemblies of God’s Church are the two burned churches in Mangu’s Dercom and Alogom neighborhoods of Sabon-Kasuwa. Both are members of COCIN.
MURIC asserted that northern Muslims living in Plateau State have been the target of numerous attacks, making them wonder why they are consistently targeted for murder. In addition, it asserted that all eight of the riot victims were Muslims.
The following was added: The recurrence of attacks on Northern Muslims living in Plateau State concerns us deeply. Even though there are a lot of Southern Christians in the South East and South West who live in Plateau State, it is always the Northern Muslims who are killed. There has never been an attack on the others.
The group added, citing reports from its Plateau State MURIC and the JNI, ” There are complaints that Muslims and their mosques did not receive adequate protection, which made it possible for Christian youths to burn as many as eight mosques while only two churches were affected, as evidenced by the reports of “Operation Rainbow.”
MURIC said that partisanship in the state’s security agencies could cause irreparable damage and allow the crisis to escalate beyond imagination, urging the agents to be fair to all in the performance of their duties.
We call on the people of Mangu and Plateau State to put an end to all forms of hostility. They ought to cooperate with the authorities. The state of Plateau has come to be associated with homicide and devastation. Potential investors, tourists, and visitors have begun to flee the state as a result of this. The state’s economy will undoubtedly be impacted by this, “MURIC added.
However, the Special Military Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), has made it clear that some suspects have been apprehended in connection with the recent deadly attacks that took place in the state’s Mangu local council.
The task force’s Media Officer, Capt. In a statement that was released in Jos and made available to journalists yesterday, James Oya made the admission.
Oya said that the task force also found some dangerous weapons during a raid of the area, but he did not say how many suspects there were.
“We have successfully apprehended some suspects and seized a large quantity of dangerous weapons that were utilized in the most recent attacks.
“We were able to successfully recover a significant quantity of weapons, including one AK-47 rifle, four locally manufactured automatic rifles, a locally manufactured mortar bomb launcher, and seven 7.62mm empty shells.
Oya stated, “Others include 36 Boris, one pistol magazine, one empty shell of a cartridge, three rounds of 7.62mm, and seven rounds of 9x19mm.”
He criticized the civilian attack on Air Force personnel and military facilities at Kerang Community, where they were stationed to enforce a 24-hour curfew.
“The youths of Kerang carried out a shocking act of aggression when they attacked our troops who were there to keep the peace and security during the curfew.
“This attack, which included firing at the patrol vehicles of the troops, posed a significant threat to the community’s and military personnel’s safety.”
“However, we are dedicated to upholding the rule of law and will not tolerate any attempts to disrupt the region’s peace and security.
Oya continued, “We also remain committed to working with the people of Plateau to foster a peaceful and secure environment for all.”
He said that the OPSH and other security agencies would continue to carry out their constitutional responsibilities in a professional manner.
The Guardian was unsuccessful in obtaining the responses of Commissioner for Information and Communication Ibrahim Musa Ashoms and Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor Gyang Bere to the allegations made by the Fulani. These officials were in Mangu with Governor Caleb Mutfwang to evaluate
