Happening one month after 195 persons were massacred during the last Christmas festivities in three local government areas, the fresh bloodshed in Plateau State has again highlighted the failure of the Nigerian state to protect its citizens. The latest atrocities in Mangu LGA midweek resulted in the killing of 30 individuals, torching of houses and worship centres. President Bola Tinubu’s administration must get a firm handle on the security in that state and other parts of the country.

Plateau is bleeding again. There is a fear of epidemic as reports say decomposing corpses litter the traumatised communities.

The condemnations and condolences, which have been pouring in, cannot restore the lost lives; the government must shake off its lethargy and rise to the challenge without further excuses.

Dozens of communities are deserted following the fresh round of killings, which occurred despite the declaration of a 24-hour curfew in Mangu by Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Tuesday, to arrest the deteriorating security situation in the area. The police confirmed that 10 houses were torched.

Strangely, the attack occurred despite the presence of troops in the area and the enforcement of a curfew by security operatives. The fact that the violence happened in defiance of the warning signals showed that the security agencies dropped the ball.

The government’s capacity to detect and respond to early warning systems or intelligence gathering appears to be inadequate. This raises the question about the capability of the security forces.

The situation has assumed a dangerous ethno-religious dimension with the indigenous Mwaghavul ethnic nationality and the Fulani accusing each other of instigating the latest round of violence.

The allegations by the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Mangu LGA, Timothy Daluk and the Director of Public Affairs, Mwaghavul Development Association, Lawrence Kyarshik, that the military aided the attackers, have put a question mark on the roles of the security forces in the mayhem. This should be properly investigated.

Though the government had initiated various peace-building and conflict resolution efforts in the past, they all appear to have failed to stem the turmoil in the state.

Addressing the security crisis in Plateau requires a comprehensive and multifaceted approach that tackles the root of the various security challenges there. To achieve a durable solution, enhancing the capacity and equipping the security forces is the key. This includes investing in intelligence gathering, surveillance technology, and rapid response capabilities. The attackers should have no hiding place.

Of equal importance are the community policing initiatives that involve collaboration between law enforcement agencies and local communities.

The Federal Government and the National Assembly must collaborate for the amendment of the constitution to allow the establishment of state police. Nigeria is too diverse and large to be policed from Abuja.

Ensuring justice and holding perpetrators of violence accountable is crucial for preventing future killings. The government’s efforts in this regard, such as prosecuting individuals involved in violent incidents, are not commendable. It had suffered challenges of lack of evidence, witness intimidation, or delays in the legal system.

To resolve the perennial crisis in Plateau, the federal and state governments should address the underlying socio-economic factors contributing to the violence, such as land disputes, and poverty. These require sustained government intervention in infrastructure development, job creation programmes, and equitable resource allocation.

In addition, government must strengthen the border security system to prevent the infiltration of armed groups, and movement of weapons to any other solutions that may be implemented.

Tinubu must demonstrate the political will and leadership to prioritise security issues and implement the necessary reforms that could enhance the capacity of the security forces to combat criminality and bloodshed across the country. (Sunday Tribune)

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