The President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu should as a matter of priority declare state of emergency on insecurity in the country to hit the ground running by eliminating unwanted elements holding citizens to ransom with the resumption of incessant attacks in Plateau and other parts of the country.
Like the saying goes, ‘No peace no Development,’ though it is worthy of note that President Tinubu during his meeting with the Security Chiefs two weeks ago gave them a marching order to clear the perpetrators of these evil acts ranging from kidnapping, banditry, militancy, herdsmen/ farmers clashes among others, but the reflection to the Presidential command still have some lapses on the part of the security formation.
Just three days ago there was an attack on Plateau Community, a Pastor of the Church of Christ in Nation, Rev. Nichodemus Kim, and 20 others were killed by suspected gunmen in Riyom and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas of the state. The pastor was killed in the Gana-Ropp community of Barkin Ladi, while others were killed in the Rim, Jol, and Kwi communities of Riyom. The National Publicity Secretary of Berom Tengwong revealed that the communities were attacked simultaneously, adding that the attacks were highly coordinated.
The attacks occurred on Sunday night, leaving many people with various degrees of injuries. Scores of people were displaced. About Twenty-one persons were killed and several others injured on Sunday during coordinated attacks by militias on residents of Rim, Jol, Kwi communities of Riyom as well as Gana-Ropp community in Barkin Ladi.
“Two persons were killed at Rim, Seven at Jol, 11 at Kwi, all in Riyom, while a clergyman, Rev. Nichodemus Kim, was killed in Gana-Ropp Barkin Ladi. The attacks on Rim, Jol and Kwi were simultaneously coordinated and held between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday. In Kwi, an entire community, Hei-gwe, was razed and over 100 farmlands destroyed,” he said.
Teengwong urged the government and security agencies to develop permanent solutions to the frequent attacks and killings in communities.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Alabo Alfred, was not available for comments. However, the Governor of the state, Mr Caleb Mutfwang, confirmed the killings in a statement by Mr Gyang Bere, his Director of Press and Public Affairs. The Governor also confirmed the kidnapping of a traditional ruler in Mushere, Bokkos Local Government Area of the state.
He assured the residents of the state of his commitment to addressing the spate of attacks, killings, kidnappings, and other security challenges currently facing the state.
“Let me assure the people that we are retooling the security apparatus of the state and by the special grace of God, we will have a secured Plateau,” the Governor said, calling on the residents of the state to keep aside their differences and unite towards moving the state forward.
Similarly, bandits killed 38 people and abducted scores in Niger communities which was also another neighbouring state to the capital city of Abuja.
Bandits have embarked on a killing spree in Niger State after allegedly taking the lives of at least 38 people while kidnapping scores of others over the weekend.The gunmen went on the rampage in communities in the Rafi local government area (LGA) of Niger State, killing some of the villagers and kidnapping some others within only two days.
The bandits were said to have raided Katako village in the Rafi local government area of Niger State on Friday where they killed 25 people.They thereafter proceeded to Kusherki town in the same local government area where they took the lives of 13 more people on Saturday. Also on the same day, the gunmen found their way into the popular Mariga Market in the Mariga local government area of Niger where they attacked and injured scores of traders.
They did not stop there as they went ahead to rustle the traders’ cattle and made away with the sales of the market men and women. The exact number of people kidnapped was not immediately known but one of the traders who escaped with injuries said: “They were many. They shot sporadically into the air to scare the traders with the bullets hitting and injuring some of the traders,” the eyewitness said on condition of anonymity.
The Niger State police in collaboration with the military have been dispatched to Yakila, Tegina, Kagara, Pandogari, Kusherki and other villages in the Rafi LGA to restore normalcy in the affected areas. Abiodun in his official statement did not, however, confirm the number of casualties or people kidnapped during the rampage.
The Tinubu’s led administration must take a drastic step towards curbing this menace of isecurity before it is late. The service Chiefs who are incapacitated in their responsibilities should immediately be replaced with fresh blood who will hit the ground running immediately.