Homeless in their Homeland: Victims of Jos crises search for meaning in life

Plateau killings in recent months have become a matter of concern among Ni­gerians. The development has raised concern over the sanctity of human lives.

Residents on the Pla­teau, especially women and children, have become victims of mass killings arising from an ongoing battle between the natives and the Fulani herders for the soul of the state.

As several people were being buried en masse, Plateau indigenous tribes have known no peace since the outbreak of the Jos up­rising on September 7, 2001 when the Fulani herders were dragged into a fight that was between Jos na­tives and Hausa-settlers in their midst over political appointment in Jos North.

The 2001 September 7 outbreak of hostilities in Jos left hundreds of surrounding communi­ties dead, with properties worth billions of naira de­stroyed.

The bloodletting has continued till date despite several commissions of in­quiries and judicial panels that were set up by present and past governments in the state as well as Federal Government interventions that could not yield fruit.

The bloody attacks have led to thousands deserting their homes in fear of their lives. They cannot go to the farms. They do not sleep with two eyes closed as they are in constant fear of the unknown.

The path to peace on the Plateau is full of challeng­es since 2001 to date, par­ticularly in the area of se­curity, as sporadic attacks on local communities have become so frequent in local government areas.

Some of the local gov­ernment areas under constant attacks include Barkinladi, Bassa, Jos South and Riyom and now Jos North all in Northern Senatorial District of the state.

Not left out in fight are Bokkos and Mangu LGAs of Central Senatorial Dis­trict and Langtang North and South LGAs of South­ern Senatorial District.

The attacks by the sus­pected Fulani herders and counter attacks by the na­tives of Plateau have led to unprecedented deaths and displacement of people, de­struction of houses, crops and livestock.

These have led to severe humanitarian problem in the state as peace has con­tinued to elude the state.

Director General, Pla­teau Peace Building Agen­cy, Joseph Lengmang, in his discussion on the roadmap to peace on the Plateau, admitted that be­tween 2001 and 2015, the at­tacks have consumed over 7,000 lives.

According to him, “sev­eral studies indicate in­creased level of fear, anx­iety, depression, mutual suspicion, intolerance among those who have witnessed or were direct­ly affected by the violence and terrorist attacks in the past.”

Lengmang noted that despite modest peace that Lalong administration has made on the Plateau, tension between Fulani herdsmen and sedentary farmers over grazing fields and water constitute a ma­jor cause of the conflicts.

Sunday Independent findings in Jos city reveal a lot of mistrust between the Plateau natives and Fu­lani settlers which grows by the day. Neighborhoods are segregated along eth­nic and religious lines, a development which has re­inforced the existing mutu­al suspicion and distrust.

Presently, internally displaced persons of Irig­we chiefdom in Bassa LGA are living in refugee camps within their homeland as they have become home­less after their houses were burnt down by rampaging herders.

Such is also the case of Berom natives of Barkin­ladi and Riyom local areas of the state with no hope of returning to their houses that have been taken over by the attackers.

Tired of the situation, members of the Plateau House of Assembly were left with no option, re­solved to go into trenches. They have already given a two-week ultimatum to Governor Simon Lalong to address the House res­olutions on the security challenges.

The Plateau Assembly House Committee Chair­man on Information, Hon Phillip Dasun, disclosed the resolution to newsmen at NUJ Press Centre, Jos.

According to him, after the two weeks, if Lalong fails to address their reso­lutions, the state lawmak­ers will decide the next line of action against the governor.

He said time has come for the citizens to practi­cally stand up and defend themselves and their com­munities, as the conven­tional security apparatus is no longer guaranteeing them safety as a people.

Dasun said: “On behalf of the Plateau State House of Assembly, I wish to sympathise with the gov­ernment and people of Pla­teau State on the barbaric and dastardly killings that have been taking place in different communities of Bassa, Barkinladi, Bok­kos, Jos North, Jos South, Mangu, Riyom, University of Jos community and re­cently, Yelwa Zangam.

The House, he said, con­demned these killings in totality, describing the de­velopment as unacceptable and condemnable, even as he commiserated with the families that lost their love ones during the attacks.

He commended the youths of his state for sustained coordinated and organised campaigns against the killings as well the courage to make it go viral by sending strong messages to the world through the social media and the streets of Jos.

Dasun said: We great­ly appreciate that action and as an Assembly with people at heart, we call on Plateau citizens to have confidence in us with re­newed commitment as we have given two weeks to the governor to take action on the resolutions the House has forwarded on security matters and how to restore peace in the land.”

He call on Lalong to come up with a statement defending the opeple and to bring back renewed com­mitment to the cause of Plateau.

“We are still expecting with high hopes, the Pres­ident to also come up with a statement about the kill­ings in Yelwa Zangam just as he did in the killings of travellers along Rukuba Road and to also indicate a sign of justice or else, we will see him as being reflective about the conflict in Plateau.

“We stand with Plateau people in this trying mo­ment and assure them of our genuine commitment to the course of Plateau State.”

He called on the tradi­tional rulers in the state to look inward and release the local security design to protect Plateau people as well as reinforce the vig­ilante, hunters and local wise men to assist in this regard, while he expressed the need for the people to defend themselves.

The House of Assem­bly has directed all local government chairmen to suspend planned recruit­ment of ad hoc staff and instead engage 200 vigi­lantes in each council to boost and argument local intelligence gathering.

This is as security agen­cies were urged to fish out the perpetrators of the mayhem and punish them according to the law.

As tension continues to mount, the last is yet to be heard over the fight be­tween Fulani herders and the host communities on the Plateau. (Independent)

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