It is gladdening to see that the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, driven out of their ancestral homes in the past 20 years by armed herdsmen terrorists in Plateau State can now look forward to returning to their homes.

Embattled Governor Caleb Mutfwang set up a committee for the implementation of the resettlement plans which will be in phases, starting with those whose villages were not destroyed by the aggressors.

Concerned Nigerians are, however, wondering the conditions under which the refugees are being taken back to their homelands. The invaders operate with the medieval mentality of conquering and occupying the lands of full citizens of this country. They disregard the fact that Nigeria is a sovereign nation under a Constitution that protects them and guarantees their welfare.

Anybody who, for any reason, wages war on Nigerian citizens to take over their ancestral patrimonies is an enemy of the state committing treasonable offences for which they deserve the maximum penalties under our laws. It is the duty of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Police and other security agencies to flush out such elements and restore the land to their rightful owners.

We hope this has been done on the Plateau before defenceless citizens are resettled. Otherwise, we are exposing them to the same danger that led to their displacement. It does not make sense. We stand by the promise that former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, made when he visited some of the IDP camps in Plateau State some years ago: no inch of the soil should be conceded to the invaders in the guise of “peaceful settlement”. Crime must never be rewarded.

Military, police and security units should be established in all areas recovered from the terrorists, while full government presence and activities should be restored. This will make it easier to spot danger when it begins to develop again. This gesture should be extended to all areas currently being cleared of terrorists, bandits and violent herdsmen, especially in Plateau, Benue, Taraba, Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara and Katsina states.

We also call for the dedication of a special federal funding for these resettlement and rebuilding efforts. The North-East Development Commission, NEDC, has proved an excellent template for facilitating the resettlement of displaced Nigerians. The same strategy should be used to quickly put these embattled Nigerians back on their feet.

Coming at the onset of the planting and rainy season, it will enable them join the collective efforts to end the hunger pandemic currently ravaging the country.

We must re-emphasise that the task of securing the nation is not to be abandoned to the Federal Government and its agencies alone. It is this centralised and monopolistic approach to the management of the nation’s security that led to the failures we are struggling to fix.

The Federal, state, local governments, communities and individuals must combine efforts to protect Nigeria.

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