Plateau Killings: NBA wants Arrested Perpetrators Prosecuted in the State

The Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, in Plateau State has called for prosecution of all arrested killers of Plateau citizens in the state instead of taking them to Abuja where nothing will be heard about them again.

Addressing a press conference which was held at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Plateau State Council, on Tuesday, chairmen of the Four branches of NBA in Plateau State said they cannot be silent in the face of what they described as barbaric and evil act of killing of innocent citizens in the state.

Jos branch Chairman of the NBA, Leah Hassa who read text of the press conference on behalf of other chairmen who signed the text, also demanded that States should be allowed to establish State Police, that will be armed with weapons to defend their communities.

“The communities be allowed to defend themselves. We therefore demand that the Federal Government should empower vulnerable communities with self defense mechanism and equipments, since the Security Personnel we have are not enough to secure our lives.”

The NBA demanded that the Federal Government should deploy adequate security personnel to vulnerable communities with clear mandate to protect the communities.

They also called for the release of relief materials and rehabilitation of affected persons, particularly women and children and the resettlement of displaced communities within the shortest possible time.

“The lives of Plateau people matters. The Nigerian Bar Association on the Plateau will not stand by while our communities are turned into killing fields. We shall continue to use legal and moral platforms available to us to demand justice, accountability and peace for our people.” They added.

The NBA also corrected the wrong insinuation by some individuals who stated that the killings is a communal Clash, noting that they are not communal Clashes but an intentional attack to wipe out helpless citizens sleeping in their houses at night by wicked men who have no regards for human lives.

Four branches of the NBA in Plateau State commended the action taken by the state government and further call on the State and Federal Governments to take comprehensive and proactive steps to forestall future occurrences of the genocidal attacks on the Plateau.

The Four branches of NBA in Plateau State comprises of Jos branch, Bukuru branch, Pankshin branch and Shendam with all the Chairmen who signed the text in attendance during the press conference in Jos.