151 Plateau Communities Forcefully Taken over by Fulani Militants

Indigenous Ethnic Youth groups in Plateau State have again raised alarm over the continued losing of their ancestral lands and villages to Fulani militants.

At a Press Conference on Monday held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Plateau State Council Secretariat in Jos, the group alleged that from 2001 to date, the indigenous people of Plateau State have loss 151 ancestral homelands and villages to the Fulani militants.

Reading the text of the conference, Mr. Paul Dekete who is the chairman of Indigenous Youth Movement, named 151 Communities that have been forcefully taken over and occupied by armed Fulani herders.

The group under the auspices of Atakar, Berom, Irigwe, Mwaghavul and Ron Youths Associations in conjunction with Coalition of Plateau State Indigenous Youths bodies noted that the magnitude of the current situation requires the support of International Community, especially the United Nations.

“It’s quite provoking to imagine that foundation of churches that were destroyed by these terrorists have overnight been reconstructed as Mosques to the utter disregard of the Fundamental rights of the displaced people. A case in point is the Rankum (Mahanga) in Jol, Ranchos and Kak in Sopp, all in Riyom Local Government Area.”

Worried by the inability of the authorities concerned to take actions to reclaim their ancestral lands despite their outcry and official complaints to the Nigerian Police Force, Department of State Security, Operation Safe Haven-OPSH, National Human Rights Commission, the National Assembly and others, the situation remains unchecked. The armed Fulani attackers have continued to occupy and extend their captured territories.

“Government in Nigeria and, indeed, the International Community should demonstrate the courage and political will of getting to the root of this matter by not only identifying the occupiers of the sacked Hamlets, Villages and Communities, but to also unravel their internal and external networks and sponsors.

“In addition, we unequivocally call on the International Community to deploy its diplomatic ways and means to get the Nigerian Government to act positively so as to bring about legal and restorative justice for the victims.

“As far as we are concerned, a situation where few arrests are made and are hurriedly released on “ORDERS FROM ABOVE” is not only unjust, but totally unacceptable as this constitutes a grievous disservice to humanity.” They added.

The youth group listed names and years that the 151 Communities were sacked and occupied by the Fulani militants who according to them have taken over the economy activities of such places.