A coalition of Nigerian patriots rose from a meeting on the state of the nation in Abuja with a demand that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu led government should as a matter of urgency bring perpetrators of Benue and Plateau killings to justice and save citizens from annihilation.
The coalition of patriots frowned at the government not too proactive approach in addressing the unabating killings especially in Benue , Plateau and other parts of the middle Belt.
In a statement read on behalf of the patriots by former minister of Sports Solomon Dalung, they disagreed with the Presidency’s narrative of a “tilt for tat” on the Plateau massacre alleging that the murderers and their sponsors were out for state capture and land grabbing.
According to them, “We are particularly alarmed by statements from federal officials like Bayo Onanuga and Daniel Bwala. Onanuga’s claim that the killings are “tit for tat,” and Bwala’s dismissive comments about governors misusing security votes, show a troubling lack of empathy and understanding.
“These narratives distort the truth: innocent citizens are being massacred in their homes, not in combat zones.
“Even more disturbing is a viral video where a self-identified Fulani coalition openly claimed responsibility for the killings and issued conditions to the Federal Government.
“The question, therefore, is: Who are their sponsors and backers? Are these backers within the corridors of power?
” Under what auspices are they operating? Will the Federal Government bow to them by ceding to their conditions?
” These individuals, who have brazenly confessed to these crimes, must be arrested and prosecuted without delay.
“Their impunity further erodes public trust and emboldens more violence”.
The coalition added that ” the attacks, especially in Plateau communities like Bassa, Mangu, Bokkos, and Riyom, appear to be part of a deliberate campaign of land grabbing and forced displacement.
“The influx of unidentified persons into these areas following the killings raises critical questions about complicity and the failure of the state to protect its citizens.
“Historically, farmer-herder tensions were settled through community dialogue. Today’s violence, however, is highly coordinated and far more brutal, pointing to deeper issues of land seizure, identity-based targeting, and a collapsed criminal justice system”.
To this end, the coalition urged the Federal Government to collaborate with local authorities to arrest and prosecute both the perpetrators and their sponsors.
Ends.
