Plateau: ‘No Farmer/Herders clash, Attackers aim at Land Grabbing’ CSOs Raise Alarm

Plateau State Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Forum has raised alarm on the efforts by Fulani terrorists to displace native communities in Bokkos and other parts of Plateau state and take over their land.

The Chairman of the Forum, Rev. Emmanuel Damcher stated this recently in a press conference held at the NUJ Press Centre in Jos, the state capital.

“The endless attacks on villages by the Fulanis is not anyway in conflict with the farmers but a clear effort to displace the natives so as to occupy their lands. Government at all levels must note this and provide adequate security for the citizens of the state.” Rev. Damcher said.

The CSOs Forum observed that the State is on the News again for the continued killing and destruction of innocent lives and properties by Fulani marauders in a bid to overrun the people of the land and maliciously occupy their land s.

According to the Forum some of the things that attract the Fulani terrorists to the attacked local governments within the State include, suitable weather conditions for agriculture and livestock farming, rich mineral deposits in the Land that have become attractive to the Fulani who are more into illegal mining across the affected LGAs and available vast lands, mountains and water ways which they take advantage of and want to posses at all costs.

While condemning the recent killings in Bokkos, the group describe it as a serious set back to peace building efforts by the, government and its partners.

They went further to describe the attacks by the Fulanis as strategic act of terrorism and therefore called on the government to note it and label them as
terrorists who are not only at war with defenceless and innocent civilians but the country as a whole.

“We call on all Plateau Communities to arise and unite in defending their ancestral lands and all means of livelihood for posterity.

We call on the Plateau State Government to revisit the report of the Task force for the return of IDPs to their ancestral lands and enforce the recommendations of the report.” The CSOs Forum said.

The group also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to as a matter of urgency to withdraw the military from Plateau State as the country is not at war. And that It is needless to have soldiers who claim to be providing security but only show up after every attack had been successfully executed just to help in evacuating dead bodies. According to them the soldiers should focus on ending the activities of bandits who are terrorizing the citizens.