Herdsmen Attacks: Lalong, Military, others, come to our rescue, Irigwe Nation cries out

Gov Lalong of Plateau State

RESUMED ANNIHILATION AGENDA IN RIGWE LAND

Being a Press Release from Irigwe Development Association, IDA, on the renewed attacks on our villages by herdsman.

Gentlemen of the Press, it has become pertinent to seek your help in raising our collective voice to the orgy of evil that has once more, visited our dear land, the Irigwe Chiefdom, of Bassa Local Government Area, Plateau State.

Truth is, recently the land has not known peace owing to the wicked activities of herdsmen who have continued to destroy farmlands in an attempt to weaken the economic life of our people.

More worrisome is the loss of lives to these senseless campaign of calumny.

While our people have continued to remain indoors and law abiding citizens in the wake of the national outcry over the Coronavirus Pandemic that engulfed the whole world, the assailant, Fulani herdsmen have continued each day within the last two weeks, to visit us with mayhem.

On Wednesday, 1 April, 2020, in Ancha, one of our communities was visited once more in an attack that left three people dead and various houses razed.

On Thursday 2 April, 2020, we woke up to bury six people burnt to death in Hukke, from an overnight attacked.

Recently also, two young men were murdered in cold blood in Nkyiedongwro while returning from moulding bricks.

There was also the killing of two mourners at Kpenrie village on 23 March, 2020, same day three children were also killed at Gbra Zongu village.

As we prepared this release today, 3 April, another news came to us that same Nkyiedongwro suffered another overnight attack, such that there may be no house left unburnt.

The dastardly activities of the assailants did not only end on us, as even the security personnel stationed to protect us have tested their venom when two of their comrades were murdered in cold blood. When this happened, we expected a more robust activity by the Operation Safe Haven to apprehend the culprits and bring their activities to a halt.

Unfortunately, this ugly trend has continued.

The entire irigwe land commiserates with the military over the avoidable loss of its security personnel who paid the supreme price while protecting our lives.

The Paramount ruler of Irigwe Land, Bra Ngwe Rigwe, Reverend Ronku Aka, and myself, the President, Irigwe Development Association, have since sent out our condolences to the authority of Operation Safe Haven, over the incident.

We are however worried by the recent withdrawal of men of the Special Security Task Force of Ooperation Safe Haven from our domain.

When this happened beginning from 21 March, we thought is was the normal routine military operation, and expected to see another set deployed to the area. But it has been over a week since that action was carried out, and here we are with a resumption of hostilities on our soil.

We are confused and do not know what to make of this reality.

That these atrocities have resumed, is the more reason we need security presence in our land, in order to protect our people.

It must be noted that even in the north-east, never has the military withdrawn its men.

And why has our case been different?

Are we to think that we are paying the price for a crime that the Fulani herdsmen committed by killing the two soldiers in question?

OUR CONCERN

We are deeply concerned about the obvious silence of the Plateau State Government over this resumed hostilities on our soil.

Is the government only concerned about the raging coronavirus Pandemic that we are almost abandoned to the gruesome activities of the Fulani marauders?

If the government does not rise up to tackle this challenge, Irigwe land would be wiped off even before the Covid-19 comes close to Plateau State.

OUR APPEAL

We want to sincerely appeal to the military authorities to please as a matter of concern and urgency to redploy  its personnel to resume their security duties in our land.

If during their presence  the assaliants dared launched attacks on our communities, what more now that they are withdrawn?

We are tempted to feel that this withdrawal of troops may have given impetus to the rampaging herdsmen to continue or escalate their campaign of blood sucking.

We therefore appeal to the authorities, to immediately respond to our cry by returning the security personnel.

Also, we want to appeal to the Plateau State Government to as a matter of consolidating on the peace that the state has enjoyed for a while now, wade in by talking to the top echelon of the military to do the needful in this regard.

We are a people of peace and work daily to ensure it is sustained in our domain and the state as a whole.

Unfortunately, our people are now homeless and helpless. As we go to sleep, only God knows which community would be the next target in this daily rampage.

We are therefore calling for assistance in catering for our displaced, especially as this is coming at a terrible time of national emergency.

Thank you for listening, and God bless.

Hon. Sunday A. Abdu,
President, Irigwe Development Association
3rd March, 2020