Plateau’s indigenous tribe laments forceful occupation of its lands

The Berom Youth Moulders’ (BYM) Association, has alleged forceful occupation of their ancestral communities by Fulani herders, who now occupy their homes and farmlands after attacking and displacing them, calling on government to take decisive action against the land grabbers.

In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the association, Mr. Rwang Tengwong, the group lamented that, “No fewer than 65 Berom communities have been forcibly taken over by Faluni herdsmen as a result of attacks and crisis, which has engulfed communities in Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Jos South LGAs.”

It added that most native inhabitants have now been sent to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps, having been sacked from their ancestral communities and their lands grabbed due to incessant attacks for over two decades with no attention given to end the avoidable man-made crises that have been taken over by criminals that now operate freely, terrorising innocent citizens.

Tengwong said the development called for “legal and restorative justice, especially, now that the Plateau State Government has come up with Anti-Land Grabbing Law of which there’s a provision for establishment of Special Task Force saddled with the requisite mandate of entertaining such matters. In essence, the law ought to be tested so as to ascertain its veracity and validity test at this juncture, where there are pressing calls for such a gallant step.

“We call on government to, as a matter of urgency, have an interface with relevant stakeholders so as to come up with ways of addressing the pending matter since lands that have been grabbed appear to be harbouring dens for kidnappers and other terror elements.”

Commending Security Operatives led by the Special Task Force (Operation Safe Haven), vigilante group and hunters in Barkin Local Government Area for carrying out a joint rescue operation that led to the rescue of the wife of the Deputy Chief of Staff of Plateau State Government House, Dorcas Vem and a Director in the state Ministry of Health, Dr. Samuel Audu, BYM said, “the success of the operation has rekindled the hope of citizens of Plateau State in the ability of the Nigeria Security system to safeguard lives and property.”

It lamented that increase in criminal activities in the state has recently become a thing of concern to all residents, urging security operatives to do more to get rid of all criminal elements within Jos and its environs.

“The suspects who are in the custody of the STF for further interrogation are said to have confessed to be Fulanis from Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

“In order not to truncate justice, which is an indispensable pivot for peace and harmonious coexistence, we unambiguously state that all criminals arrested should be handed over to the police for preliminary investigation and prosecution, where necessary, and not to be taken out of Plateau state.

“Similarly, there should be an eviction order to all land grabbers across the state. This would go a long way in addressing the unaddressed insecurity bedevilling the state,” the statement noted. (THISDAY)