•Culprits should be prosecuted and punished

After a few years of relative peace, Plateau State has now relapsed into full-scale violence. Despite the 24-hour curfew declared by Governor Caleb Mutfwang, destructions and killings have continued unabated just as leaders of Christian and Islamic religious groups are trading accusations between themselves while also same time accusing the military and some vigilante groups of taking sides in the conflict. What compounds the challenge is that the governor hails from Mangu local government area, the latest theatre of violence.

Since 2001, Plateau State has been embroiled in this ruinous crisis that has claimed thousands of lives. Hundreds of thousands of others have also had to flee their homes and take refuge in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. The scope of the conflict has escalated in recent weeks and is now assuming a dangerous dimension. All sides now exploit religion as a tool to mobilise large-scale support and a cloak to impunity, and attack opponents and innocent people. At the centre of this crisis are age-long emotional issues of ‘settlers’ and ‘indigenes’ which require political sagacity to resolve by all critical stakeholders. Sadly, community elders as well as the political and religious leaders who ordinarily should help in bringing peace are most often the ones leading the rhetoric of hate that in turn ignites the spiral of violence.

We appeal to our religious leaders to exercise caution in their actions and utterances. “Religious bodies should do more to preach peace, tolerance, and harmonious co-existence than invest so much energy in fanning the embers of disaffection and misleading the public”, Musa Ashom, the state Commissioner for Communication and Information, said during the week. We also appeal to the media that times like this call for restraint in the reportage (and slanting) of news so that we do not unwittingly provide platforms for purveyors of violence and hate. It is particularly important to note that giving undue prominence to incendiary remarks will not in any way advance the cause of peace which we really need for us to successfully navigate this troubled season.

The spiral of revenge killings started last December when almost 200 people were mowed down across several communities in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi and Mangu local governments. The assailants targeted 17 communities in senseless and unprovoked attacks, and burning down many houses in the area.

A major cause of the violence and aggravated tension in Plateau State and several other theatres across the country is over access to land, especially between nomads and peasant farmers. As we have stated repeatedly, the solution is to address headlong the perennial problem of grazing rights. The pastoral lifestyle as an aspect of our inherited culture has become a national security challenge and no longer tenable. Unfortunately, successive administrations in the country have continued to proffer the same medieval solution that only compounds the problem.

We must, however, note that violence keeps recurring not only in Plateau State, but indeed across the country because the perpetrators always get away with their sordid act since those responsible are never prosecuted and brought to justice. Issues of proliferation of light arms, intelligence gathering and quick response to attacks and dispensation of justice for deterrence purposes must be addressed decisively. Without any conscious efforts in that direction, it will be difficult to bring an end to the spiral of violence that has unwittingly turned our country into one big killing field.

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