Insecurity: Attacks on Plateau communities, plot to subjugate our people – MBF

The Youth Wing of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Monday, vowed to resist devious plots by the Fulani militia, to subjugate the indigenous ethnic nationalities in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria.

It disclosed that the persistent attacks on communities in Plateau State were part of the plot to conquer the people, take over their land and enthrone the Fulani as masters over them.

The group said such devious efforts will be resisted within the constitutional rights of the people and charged the Federal Government and security agencies to desist from applying double standards in handling national security issues.

The MBF youths, who were responding to the position taken by the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), accused the group of hypocrisy and double standards in its intervention on the recent attacks on travellers in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

According to the MBF, the attempt by the CNG to paint the killing of 22 “travellers” in ethnic and religious colours was appalling and a deliberate move to put the blame on the Irigwe people who had been under persistent attacks from armed Fulani herders for a long time.

In a statement signed by Nasiru Jagaba, Emmanuel Zopmal and Chris Aba, the Middle Belt Youths expressed surprise that despite the intermittent coldblooded murders on the Plateau and other parts of the North, the CNG only found its voice when some unknown elements attacked travellers.

“It is on record that not only Plateau State but the entire North has been turned into a river of bloodshed, with hundreds of communities decimated and thousands of innocent citizens killed without a whimper from the group.

“More worrisome, the deliberate attempt at demonising the Irigwe ethnic nationality as perpetrators of these killings has been orchestrated without any evidence. Not only were hundreds of homes reduced into rubble in five Irigwe communities, no fewer than 76 Irigwe persons were brutally murdered within a span of four days in the last two weeks without any attempt by the security forces to bring the killers to justice.

“While these murderers have been enmeshed in destroying lives, homes and vast swathes of farmlands, the CNG embraced silence and looked the other way. The CNG seems to be available for the highest bidder and only found its voice when the victims of the Saturday attack turned out to be Fulani people.

“That the CNG would quickly address the press on the incident and called for the arrest of Irigwe monarchs in the troubled areas shows that the group is engaged in fanning the embers of violence.

“We condemn the attempt by the CNG to label the Irigwe ethnic nationality as the perpetrators of these killings as they were deeply involved in the burial of their people killed by heartless herdsmen,” they said. (New Telegraph)