Instead of curtailing the lingering ethnic onslaught in Mangu local council, Plateau State, some security agents are exacerbating the situation, locals told WikkiTimes.
The locals said security operatives are killing some unarmed civilians and leading the rival Wmaghavul tribal group [mostly farmers] in arson attacks against the Fulani herders.
The recent horrors followed the Tuesday midnight attack in the Kombun district where over 30 including women and children were reportedly killed. The crisis spread to other villages.
SECURITY OPERATIVES ABETTING ETHNIC CLEANSING
Although security operatives were deployed to restore normalcy in the conflict-ravaged area, some of them took the other way — ethnic cleansing.
For instance, three persons [at least] were allegedly killed by military personnel and mobile police who led Wmagavul youth to set herders’ settlements ablaze.
Besides the casualties and damages in Kombun, the herders believe security officials moving in military vehicles abetted attacks in places like Jojshan and Shagal provinces.
Abubakar Hassan, a Fulani-speaking resident in Jojshan told WikkiTimes that the combined team of security agents killed the three “unarmed” herders.
The casualty could have been four, “but one of them was not killed, he sustained a leg fracture and was taken away by the security agents,” said Hassan.
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He said scores of children were slaughtered by Mogavuls and thrown into the river in the presence of security personnel.
Hassan added that another member was killed by security agents last Friday at Shagal village.
“They trail and kill us like animals, while the Mogavuls wreak havoc rightly behind them,” he alleged.
Hassan said that it was too early to ascertain the figures of the dead persons as several members are still missing including his own family.
Alhaji Wada, a resident of Kasuwan Ali community with 30 dependents, said 106 cows were rustled on Tuesday, May 16 by Mogavul youth. The livestock included 85 cows and 113 sheep.
“And we reported this to the authorities in the state but we are still stranded weeks after. And the security agents are not helping at all. This is so devastating,” he said, urging the security personnel to protect lives instead.
Umar Adamu, one of the herders’ leaders in the area, revealed that over 50 slain Fulani herders were buried in members in Kombun alone and four others in Mboi.
“It is too early to figure out the number of the deaths as our people are being killed on a daily basis,” the leader said. “They kill our people and wholly razed our houses in Komboli, Borwa, Daam, Kombun, Panyam, Jojshan, Bandus and Malang.
According to Umar, they made several efforts to meet with the traditional ruler of Mangu, Mishkcham Mwaghavul, and other stakeholders in the local government on the development, but were not given access.
Mohammed Nura, the Plateau State Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) told WikkiTimes that despite living in the communities for centuries, Fulani herders are being marginalized and always considered as non-indigenes.
He alleged that the motive was inspired by state and local actors to eliminate the entire Fulani race from the areas. “They always don’t want to see us there, because they consider us as non-indigenes,” he said.
Nura noted that they earlier complained about the situation, but no fruitful response from the authorities.
“We later understood that it’s a conspiracy including some actors in government to chase us out of our ancestral places.
“They killed our yet-to-identified number of people, including women, aged, and children, killed and rustled over 300 cows from the areas.
“We don’t have access to the corpses of our slain loved ones – vultures feed on their corpses all over those areas. Unfortunately, some of the killings and destructions were either being done by security agents or abated by them. Let the government do the needful,” Nura added.
WMAGAVULS BLAME FULANIS FOR KOMBUN KILLINGS
Joseph Gwankat, National President of the Mwaghavul Development Association, blamed the death of “over 85 locals” in Fungzai and Kubwat villages in Kombun on the Fulani herders.
He stated this on Wednesday when speaking to newsmen after a security meeting, which was attended by the state Deputy Governor and other officials at the palace of the traditional ruler of Mangu, Mishkcham Mwaghavul, John Putmang Hirse.
He called on the government to provide adequate security agents to protect lives and property in the troubling area.
Datet Gambo, District Head of Kombun told WikkiTimes that the people killed in Kubwat were over 30 people.
He corroborated that several residential houses belonging to Fulani herders were set ablaze in the area.
The monarch who spoke from his hidden place revealed that the areas are still volatile.
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A member of the House of Representatives representing Mangu/Bokkos federal constituency, Solomon Maren, at a press conference at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Wednesday said over 100 persons have been killed in the attacks.
Maren said the assailants also burnt down houses, farms and stored agricultural inputs, expressing dissatisfaction with the effort of the federal government in providing security for the people of the state.
On Friday, the Plateau State Security Council held an emergency meeting to review and assess the impact of the crises.
The meeting, chaired by Governor Simon Bako Lalong was held at the Government House Rayfield, Jos.
The Governor while briefing newsmen after the meeting said the council mandated the security agencies to sustain the presence of their personnel on the ground to rebuild confidence and halt any further affront on innocent citizens, stressing that the perpetrators must not go unpunished.
He noted that the state government would step in to address the plight of displaced persons in the area and work towards restoring normalcy.
‘I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY’ — POLICE SPOKESPERSON
Alfred Alabo, the Plateau State Police Spokesperson declined to make clarification on the allegation level against the security agents.
“I don’t have anything to say on that,” he told WikkiTimes.
However, Alabo in a statement on Wednesday said five suspects were arrested in connection to the Mangu clashes and the police operatives recovered an AK 47 rifle, a revolver pistol and cartridges.
But the statement did not disclose the number of casualties and damaged properties.
