PDP Laments Killing of over 5,000 Nigerians Since May 29

•Falana condemns Plateau killings, asks FG to arrest, punish perpetrators  

•Adegboruwa: Tinubu has failed to protect Nigerians

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and  Wale Igbintade

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday condemned the killing of no fewer than 160 innocent Nigerians by terrorists in the coordinated attacks on 20 communities in Plateau State on the eve of Christmas.

In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the party described as heartrending the chilling reports of how defenceless Nigerians were gruesomely murdered and over 10,000 more displaced by terrorists in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi areas of Plateau State, in unrestrained attacks which lasted up till Monday morning.

In a related development, human rights lawyer Mr. Femi Falana SAN has condemned the Christmas Day attacks in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State, which left at least 100 persons dead, and urged the federal government to fish out the culprits and prosecute them without delay.

Falana in a statement issued yesterday, said in view of the conflicting accounts of the deadly attacks, the federal government ought to carry out a full investigation into the killing and destruction of properties.

Another prominent human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN also faulted the response of the federal government to the recent killings in Plateau State, adding that the reaction of President Bola Tinubu proved beyond doubt that governance has failed in Nigeria.

The fiery lawyer in a statement issued yesterday, stated that if there was no genuine programme to lift Nigerians out of the present economic woes, President Tinubu should do the needful by resigning.

The PDP lamented that the  insensitive attitude of the President Bola Tinubu-led government towards issues of security had emboldened terrorists and bandits to upscale deadly attacks and open the way for the killing of no fewer than 5,000 Nigerians since Tinubu took office on May 29, 2023.

According to Ologunagba, “Our party berates Tinubu for always resorting to lame presidential condemnation by his media aides without any corresponding definite steps to protect Nigerians and stop this constant carnage in our nation.

“President Tinubu has practically abdicated his constitutional role as president and commander in-chief which is principally to ensure the security of lives and property thus abandoning Nigerians to terrorists, bandits and marauders.”

He urged Nigerians to recall how Tinubu in his nationwide broadcast of July 31, 2023, had no words of commitment for security, despite the escalated killing of over 500 Nigerians and many more abducted in Plateau, Benue, Niger, Kaduna and other states of the federation at that time.

“Even with the disturbing information that no fewer than 5,060 Nigerians were killed, with 2,263 others abducted since May 2023 as contained in the 2023 Nigeria Security Report by Beacon Consulting, which was also reported in the Wednesday,  December 13, 2023 edition of the Punch Newspapers, the Tinubu-led APC administration remains largely nonchalant and silent.

“There are apprehensions that what is happening in Plateau State is a genocide and the Tinubu-led APC administration must be held responsible for the mindless killing under its watch,” the PDP stated.

The PDP restated its demand for an urgent legislative public inquest into the killings as well as the undesirable disposition of the APC government on issues of insecurity in the country.

The party said that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is also invited to commence an independent investigation to unravel the sponsors and perpetrators of what it described as an act of genocide.

In this regard, it said that special attention must be paid to prominent former and current leaders of the APC who have at various times been alleged to overtly encouraged, promoted, incited and endorsed acts of terrorism and genocide.

‘’This is especially against the backdrop of reports that over 63,000 Nigerians have been murdered by terrorists and bandits in the eight and half years of the Buhari/Tinubu APC-led government.

“Our party deeply commiserates with the families of the victims of these mindless killings enabled by the APC in Plateau State and other parts of the country, and prays to God to bring succour to the wounded and the displaced,” the PDP stressed.

Falana urged the federal government to make use of the N6.2 billion earmarked by the Buhari administration for the establishment of ranches in Plateau State and other states of the federation for animal husbandry.

Falana said that in addressing violent conflicts in the country generally, the federal, state and local governments should address the root cause of physical insecurity which is rooted in poverty and inequality.

The statement titled “FG must end brutal killing of innocent people in Plateau State” read: “The brutal killing of unarmed citizens has become the order of the day in Plateau State. Even though the federal government and the Plateau State Government had set up judicial and administrative panels of enquiry, the culprits that were identified and recommended for prosecution were treated like sacred cows.

“Hence, the wanton killing of innocent people and destruction of properties have continued unabated .The casualties recorded in the last 20 months include the following:

“On April 10, 2022, 250 people killed in a series of attacks in the state by a gang of bandits. The police did not arrest any of the murderers.

“On May 16, 2023, about 87 people were killed and 39 injured during an attack on villages in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State. The spokesperson of the state police command Alabo Alfred disclosed that seven suspects in connection with the attack had been arrested. The suspects were not prosecuted.

“On October 1, 2023, at least eight people were killed and five more injured in an attack on the Du community of the Kwall District, part of the Rigwe Chiefdom. The police did not arrest the murderers.

“On December 24, 2023, a group of bandits killed about 145 citizens and even had time to record their atrocities in video, which they later circulated. As usual, the federal government has condemned the brutal killing of unarmed citizens. The Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, CP Okoro Alawari said that the deadly attacks took place in 12 villages of Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State and that 221 houses, 27 motorcycles and eight motor vehicles were burnt down.

“In a similar vein, the Commander of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Maj.-Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, said his troops had responded to several distress calls during the attacks. Abubakar said: “In the last 48 hours, we have responded to 36 distress calls from different locations, simultaneously. As we speak, some of our men are in hospital due to the injuries sustained in the attacks. But we are committed to ensuring that we put a stop to all criminal activities in Plateau.”

“But MACBAN has said Fulani and their cattle had become targets of revenge by armed youths in Bokkos LGA of the state. The state chairman of the association, Muhammed Nuru Abdullahi, has accused security personnel of colluding with farmers to attack the Fulani herders.

“According to him, the whole problem started as a result of cattle rustling where three cattle breeders were killed and 181 cows were attempted to be rustled on 23/12/2023 (Saturday), but they failed. While on Sunday 24/12/23, twenty two people were killed in the aforementioned villages.

“There was burning of Fulani houses in Makada, Matalem, Momndun, Matol, Tashan maikarfi, Yelwan nono, Fokos, Shoro and Morfet villages. About 130 houses were burnt and demolished. This unprovoked act of criminality is totally condemnable particularly at a time that we have put behind us incidents of the past to work with government and security agencies to ensure lasting peace in our communities.”

“In view of the conflicting accounts of the deadly attacks the federal government ought to carry out a full investigation into the killing and destruction of properties. The culprits should be fished out and prosecuted without any delay.

“However, in order to end the incessant clashes between farmers and herders the federal government should establish ranches in Plateau State and other states of the federation for animal husbandry. After all, the Buhari administration had provided N6.2 billion for the establishment of ranches in Katsina State.

“In addressing violent conflicts in the country generally, the federal, state and local governments should address the root cause of physical insecurity which is rooted in poverty and inequality.”

Adegboruwa expressed dismay that a day after close to 200 hundred citizens were brutally murdered in cold blood and others displaced from their homelands in their thousands in Plateau State, the president was comfortable to host governors in the comfort of his home in Banana Island Lagos, instead of visiting the scene of the carnage to solidarise with his fellow citizens who are being killed in droves and have since become helpless and defenseless.

He wondered how the governor of Plateau State could be comfortable leaving his home state for a solidarity visit to celebrate Christmas with the President in far-away Lagos.

The statement read: “The recent gruesome killings in Plateau State prove beyond doubt that governance has failed in Nigeria. Since May 29, 2023 when the president took over the mantle of leadership, the fortunes of Nigerians have dwindled and life generally has become uncertain and hellish.

“The verdict on the streets of Port-Harcourt, Kaduna, Uyo, Onitsha, Gombe, Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, Makurdi, Lokoja and indeed all parts of the country is that this particular government has failed Nigerians.

“Under and by virtue of section 14 (2) (a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

“The revelation by the governor of Plateau State that over 64 communities in the state have been taken over and are being inhabited permanently by terrorists for well over two years running is a loud confirmation of the lack of transparency on the part of our leaders in dealing with the people.

“As far as the relevant laws of Nigeria are concerned, security matters lie principally with the federal government led by the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces who in this case is the President. That sacred duty is not being discharged creditably and in accordance with the good expectation of Nigerians.

“It is therefore shocking that a day after close to 200 hundred citizens have been brutally murdered in cold blood and others displaced from their homelands in their thousands in Plateau State, the President was comfortable to host governors in the comfort of his home in Banana Island Lagos, instead of visiting the scene of the carnage to solidarize with his fellow citizens who are being killed in droves and have since become helpless and defenseless.

“How could the governor of Plateau State be comfortable leaving his home state for a solidarity visit to celebrate Christmas with the President in far-away Lagos? What message was the Governor sending to his people?

The federal government should have declared a state of emergency on security and directed a low-key Christmas celebration in solidarity with the people of Plateau State.

“It would seem that security is gradually becoming a scam in Nigeria, through which our leaders siphon money without actually offering any tangible solution for the protection of lives and property. In this particular case of the killings in Plateau State, the President relapsed into the usual refrain of press statements, without any concrete action to combat the terrorists or bring them to justice.

“Quite apart from the failure in security, the Tinubu administration has imposed suffering and mass hunger and poverty upon the people through failed economic policies that have led to inflation and mass sufferings.

“The mantra of the so-called Renewed Hope has only been employed to lure our people into slumber while the leaders go on living in luxury and affluence and the youths and citizens are left to seek greener pastures in foreign land in the name of JAPA.

“The President has had enough time to convince Nigerians about his determination to improve their lives but no tangible change has taken place since his inauguration beyond propaganda and the usual press releases that address nothing.

“If there is no genuine programme to lift Nigerians out of the present economic woes, let the President do the needful by resigning.”