by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Plateau State Branch, says it cannot continue to be silent in the face of barbaric and evil acts of killing innocent citizens and taking over their ancestral lands – making them strangers in their own homes.
The Association was led by its Chairman, Leah Dagung Hassan (NBA, Jos Branch), along with Pankshin Chairman, Bukuru Chairman and Shendam Chairman at a Press Conference at the NUJ Press Center, Jos, on Tuesday.
“The NBA calls for the immediate identification, arrest, and prosecution of the perpetrators of these wicked acts. All perpetrators, who are arrested, be prosecuted in Plateau State and not taken to Abuja, where we no longer hear anything about them again, suggesting that they have been released.”
She also urged the Federal Government to deploy adequate security personnel to vulnerable communities with clear mandates for community protection.
The chairman also urged federal government to allow States to establish State Police, which will be armed with weapons to defend their communities, while the establishment of a conflict resolution and early warning mechanism through collaboration with community leaders, civil society, and security stakeholders should be made.
Barr. Hassan called on government to allow communities to defend themselves and, therefore, demanded that the Federal Government empowers vulnerable communities with self-defense mechanisms and equipment, “since the current security personnel are not enough to secure our lives.”
The Association further called for the provision of relief and rehabilitation for affected persons, particularly women and children, and resettlement of displaced communities within the shortest possible time.
They also acknowledged that, lives of Plateau people matter, adding that, “The Nigerian Bar Association on the Plateau will not stand by while their communities are turned into killing fields. We shall continue to use all legal and moral platforms available to us to demand justice, accountability, and peace for our people.
She expressed deep sadness and pain by the recent spate of violent attacks in Bokkos and Bassa Local Government Areas of Plateau State, which have claimed numerous innocent lives and left many others injured, displaced, traumatized, and grieving.
“It is utterly heart-wrenching that, while Plateau State is yet to recover from the horror and pain of previous attacks, our peace is once again shattered by another wave of senseless and barbaric killings. These acts of violence are a direct assault on our shared humanity, the rule of law, and the fundamental right to life as enshrined in our Constitution,” she noted
According to her, the reaction of the Nigerian Bar Association is adequately captured by the President of the Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, in the press release of 15th April, 2025, calling on the Government to rise up to its responsibility of safeguarding and protecting the lives of citizens.
“We adopt in totality the President’s address, calling on the Government to uphold the tenets of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, particularly the right to life.
“We further condemn in the strongest possible terms these brutal and premeditated attacks and call on all security agents to rise above rhetoric and deliver swift, visible, and effective justice.
“The continued bloodletting in Plateau State, under the guise of ‘communal crises,’ must no longer be treated with indifference or vague promises. The slogan should no longer be “Enough is enough,” but “This is enough – let’s stand up and take action.”
“The four branches of the NBA commend the actions taken so far by the State Government, and further call on the State and Federal Governments to take comprehensive and proactive steps to forestall future occurrences of these genocidal attacks on the people of Plateau State.
“This is not a communal clash, as stated by some individuals in society, but an intentional attack to wipe out helpless citizens sleeping in their homes at night by wicked men, who have no regard for human lives.