By ONOJA AUDU

Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN), has raised serious concerns about the spate of kidnappings and killings of Plateau natives by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the state.

. PIDAN, in a Communiqué issued to newsmen in Jos at the end of its National Council meeting and signed by Prof. Aboi Madaki and Comrade Nanle Gujor, its President and Secretary-General respectively on Sunday, expressed worry over the increasing presence of suspected Boko Haram elements in Jos and it’s environs.

PIDAN in a Communique issued to newsmen in Jos at the weekend and a copy made available to Daily Independent said
National Development Associations of Ethnic nationalities on the Plateau met at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Jos which had in attendance 43 of 58 ethnic nationalities, discussed and arrived at the decision that the security situation in the country, with particular interest on Plateau State has become very worrisome.

According to them, continuos attacks and killings of Plateau natives by suspected Fulani. herdsmen in the LGAs of Riyom and Bassa as evidenced by reported deaths among whom were Mr Amos Elisha from Nad Community, Riyom LGA, Mr Raphael Bawa from Dudu, Miango, Bassa LGA, Sandi Kusa from Kwall, Bassa LGA on and Bitrus Chollom from Kum, Riyom LGA recently were regrettable.

” The increasing appearance of suspected Boko Haram elements in the streets of Jos Metropolis and the spades of kidnapping of law abiding citizens particularly in Bassa, Jos-North and Jos East LGAs largely linked to activities of Fulani herdsmen. were becoming disturbing to peace loving people of the state.

They equally condemned what they called continuous kidnapping of students in boarding schools in Katsina, Zamfara and more recently in the boundary State of Kaduna state.

” while PIDAN appreciates the peace process put in place by the Plateau State Government, Council called on it to redouble it’s efforts at stopping the continued marauding activities of Fulani herdsmen so as to curb further killings and kidnapping.”

PIDAN Commended Plateau state government’s peace building efforts in engaging in pragmatic dialogue with local Fulani leadership and other civil society groups to establish peace ful co Existence among the natives and local Fulanis aimed at strengthening community driven peace processes in their respective domains to address the twin evil of killings and kidnapping.

They also resolved that each Association leadership should educate their members and its community-driven security members on the need to carefully take note of strange movements and strange persons or suspects and report to the security agencies and the ocassion to Called on all security agencies to respond to calls on such matters from community leadership promptly and endeavour to provide meaningful feedback on such incidents.

They tasked each Association to bring together its community level key stakeholders (vigilante, leadership of Parents-Teachers Association, School Principals,) and in liaison with their respective LGA chairmen, strategize to strengthen security around all boarding schools in their domains to safeguard against kidnapping of students.

On the National Livestock Transformation Plan , PIDAN expressed concern on the inherit inadequacies of the NLTP as it currently exists in the public domain especially its focus on cattle to the detriment of other livestock such as pigs, dogs and
equally noted with reprieve the Government intention to send an executive bill on the program to the State House of Assembly to provide legal backing to the program.

” Council hopes that the intended bill will address the concern expressed above and . further advised the leadership of each Association to educate its members on the content of the NLTP as presently available in the public domain and await the public hearing session of the executive bill where they would be chanced to express their minds and make inputs on the usefulness of the program to their communities.

They also called on crisis-prone LGAs such as Bassa and Riyom which have some of its ethnic nationalities with sizable members in neighboring LGAs in Kaduna State to reach out to the leadership of such LGAs to strategize towards consolidating the current peace efforts. (Daily INDEPENDENT)

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