by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Coalition of Plateau Indigenous Youths Bodies says it is “constrained to draw the attention of the public and, especially, the International Community through the media on the alarming and unacceptable loss of ancestral lands as well as the denial of access to farmlands and mining sites currently being suffered by the customary landowners in the State.
“In this regard, a case in point is the Rankum (Mahanga) in Jol, Ranchos and Kak in Sopp, all in Riyom Local Government Area. For the avoidance of doubt, over 151 Hamlets and Villages are either totally “annexed” or effectively being occupied by the Fulani militants, bandits or terrorists in the aforementioned Local Government of Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Bokkos, Mangu and Riyom.”
President of Berom Youth Moulders’ Association, Amb. D.S. Mwantiri, gave the briefing to newsmen on behalf of the Atakar, Irigwe, Mwagavwul and Ron Youths Associations in conjunction with the Coalition of Plateau Indigenous Youths Bodies in Jos on Monday.
According to him, “For several years to date, the Youths Bodies have been crying aloud and lodging complaints to appropriate authorities, including the Nigerian Police Force, Department of State Security, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), National Human Rights Commission, the National Assembly and others that there is a serious under-current to the unprecedented and well-orchestrated terror attacks unleashed on our Hamlets, Villages and Communities with the principal motive of dispossessing us of our God-giving lands and territory.”
The youth president observed that, “The agenda and strategy of the Fulani terrorists is evidenced in attacks and killings on Hamlets, Villages and Communities, thereby, intimidating and displacing native inhabitants, leading to the disruption of their livelihoods, paving way for the occupation of such lands and denial of access, which consequentially, produces ungoverned spaces and “NO-GO” areas for supposedly conquered peoples in this 21st Century!
He stressed that, “From our collective community experiences, we strongly believe there is a curious connection between the areas happened where our people have suffered the worse forms of displacement and denial of access to the rich natural and mineral endowment of such locations.
“It’s common knowledge that, Hamlets and Villages in Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Bokkos Mangu and Riyom Local Government Areas are richly endowed with resources such as favourable weather conditions, natural tourist sites, fertile soils, water bodies, Cassaterite, Columbite and so many other minerals.
“It’s instructive, therefore, to judiciously note the rapidly changing economic and occupational demographics in the occupied territories. For instance, in Gashish District of Barkin Ladi LGA, the Fulani have currently taken over the economic activities of the area, having largely displaced native farmers from their ancestral areas.
“The exploitation and domination of the people is evidenced at local produce markets and transport businesses in and around the said Gashish District.
“It’s quite provoking to imagine that foundation of Churches that were destroyed by these terrorist elements have overnight been reconstructed as Mosques, to the utter disregard of the fundamental rights of the displaced people,” he stressed.
Amb Mwantiri narrated that, “The worrisome dimension is that, this vicious trend is still ongoing, and is assuming greater intensity and sophistry as was witnessed during the Christmas-Eve massacre that claimed over 257 human lives and millions of Naira worth of properties.
“The question beckoning for answers is: for how long shall the tactical endorsement and sponsorship of these atrocities continue? It’s the firm belief of the Youths Bodies that the victims of these massacres deserve to get back their lands and access thereto from the forceful occupiers and not mere journalistic ‘condemnation’ of such onslaughts, killings, displacements and land-grabbing.”
They also called on the Nigeria Government and, indeed, the International Community to demonstrate the courage and political will of getting to the root of the matter by not only identifying the occupiers of the sacked Hamlets, Villages and Communities, but to also unravel their internal and external networks and sponsors.
“In addition, we unequivocally call on the International Community to deploy its diplomatic ways and means to get the Nigerian Government to act positively so as to bring about legal and restorative justice for the victims.
“As far as we are concerned, a situation where few arrests are made and hurriedly released on ‘ORDERS FROM ABOVE’ is not only unjust, but totally unacceptable, as this constitutes a grievous disservice to humanity.
“To utterly ignore the plight of the victims of land-grabbing in all these areas lays credence to the suspicion of tacit condonation, endorsement and compromise on the part of Government, security agents and, indeed, the International Community,” the youth president stated.
He further stated that, “The Atakar, Berom, Irigwe, Mwagavwul and Ron as well as the Coalition of the Indigenous Youths Body wish to acknowledge the sincere passion of the Plateau State Government towards returning IDPs to their ancestral lands and, indeed, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s avowed declaration that the menace of insecurity and its associated barbarism shall be squarely dealt with.
“However, the reality remains that, the magnitude of the current situation truly requires the deliberate support of the International Community and, indeed, the United Nations at this juncture, where the ‘TIME IS NOW’ Administration of Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has demonstrated the requisite political will to address the unattended situation.
“We strongly believe that, the good intention of the Governor of Plateau, His Excellency, Barr Caleb Mutfwang, needs to be concretized through a Marshall Plan for Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, and Resettlement of victims all over the affected Local Government Areas.
He stressed out that, “It’s evidently established that our people, who are victims of terror attacks and massacre are, indeed, so plagued because of a weak and reluctant system that hardly guarantees their safety nor enforce their inalienable rights as human beings.
“This is why we believe it’s incumbent on the International Community to pressure the Nigerian Government to come-through with a clear-cut transparent program of action to rehabilitate and restore victims and the displaced, or alternatively, invoke multilateral diplomatic resources of mobilization and support to respond to this humanitarian situation snowballing in Plateau State.”