The Forum of Former Youths Leaders (Veterans), persons who have served in the EXCO of the Plateau State Youth Council have expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for swiftly sending delegations to Plateau State in the wake of the recent attacks in the State. They urged the President to do his best to ensure that the recent high powered delegation he sent to Plateau to assess the situation are backed with immediate actions. This according to them is the only way his good intentions will produce results since this is not the first time a delegation of this sort will be sent to Plateau after very horrible experiences such as the Christmas Eve attacks which claimed over 190 person in simultaneous attacks that affected over 25 communities of Bokkos, Barkin Ladi and parts of Mangu LGAs.
The group made this known while addressing a Press Conference in Jos, the Plateau State Capital. According to the group’s leader Yakubu Itse, these attacks were what they described as “…premeditated genocide against the peaceful and loving people who had already started celebrating Christmas…”. The group expressed pains that despite “…several distress calls to the security agencies to avert or to halt the then ongoing massacre of Plateau natives in the affected communities, the killings continued unabated.”
The group wondered why the alleged disappearance of General Alkali and the late Ardo of Panyam Mallam Adamu Idris Gabdo were quickly solved and even suspects apprehended while several cases the abduction and murder of First Class Monarchs, Village Chiefs and other title holders in Plateau State and even other areas across the country were yet to be solved and did not command as much urgency.
They asked further questions as to whether or not the solved alleged murder cases were what they described as “…plots or had beem orchestrated t9 give Plateau people a bad name and thereby set them up as targets for attacks and annihilation…”, given that no autopsy report was conducted to confirm whether or not the exumed decomposed remains the military got in both solved cases were actually the persons and the cause of death ascertained.
They called on the Federal Government to embark on a full scale investigation to arrest the perpetrators of this recent heinous crimes, while also calling on the Plateau State Government to synergize with the Federal Government to ensure the implementation of the Plateau State Anti Kidnapping and Anti Land-Grabbing Law. A minute silence was observed in honor of those lives lost in the Christmas Eve attacks.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu had sent two high powered delegations to Plateau State following the unfortunate Christmas Eve Attacks in the State, one led by the Vice President Senator Kassim Shettima who was accompanied by the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and the Chief of Defense Staff General Christopher Musa and the second delegation led by the Honorable Minister of State, Defense Bello Matawale, Honorable Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Dr Betta Edu, in company of the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar. The Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun had also visited the state for same reason.
Nigeria Star News 