Plateau killings: Thousands of residents stage Peace Walk

THOUSANDS of residents on Monday staged a Peace Walk in Jos, the Plateau State capital, over the killings in parts of the state, even as the chairman, Denominational Leaders in the State, Reverend Stephen Baba Panya, said promoting peaceful co-existence must be complemented with the provision of adequate security and predicated on justice, fairness, and equity.

The residents, mostly women in black attire, started the Peace Walk from the State Secretariat flyover and terminated it at the Government House, Little Ray Field, where they presented their demands to Governor Caleb Muftwang.

Presenting the ten-point demands to the governor, Reverend Panya, who is also the president of the Evangelical Church of Winning All (ECWA), said since the military has admitted it cannot be everywhere at the same time and given its involvement in many theaters of operation across the country, communities should be allowed to activate their self-defence mechanisms to defend their communities from terrorist attacks while waiting for military intervention.

Reverend Panya stated that Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), in charge of security in the state, needs to be restructured and given a fresh mandate to ensure adequate protection of all communities.

He noted that the existence of the military outfit cannot be justified if massive attacks and killings continue unabated in the state.

He called on the government of President Bola Tinubu to do everything possible to prevent Nigeria from drifting into anarchy, adding that people are no longer willing to stand aloof and allow terrorists to continue to slaughter them like animals.

On land grabbing, the clergyman called for an end to the intentional dispossession of land and the current land grabbing through militarization and the activities of the armed militias and bandits, which he said have gone on for too long in Plateau State.

He said, “Records show that several indigenous villages have been destroyed, the people have been displaced, and some of these villages are currently being occupied by these armed militias.

“This sad reality and social tragedy must change. The displaced people should be resettled back to their ancestral lands and given adequate security.

“We call for the release of all those alleged to have been arrested with legitimate self-defence implements such as cutlasses, clubs, and machetes in the course of protecting their communities in the aftermath of the attacks.

“Where such persons have been arrested as alleged, they should be immediately released because it amounts to aggravating the pains of the people by requiring security agencies who did not respond on time to protect the communities to come belatedly and arrest those who are sacrificially and patriotically defending their communities from further attacks.”

Reverend Panya also appealed to the Federal Government to establish the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), adding that this has become necessary following the frequent attacks and wanton destruction of lives and properties across the zone in the last decade.

Responding, Governor Caleb Muftwang commended the people of the state for restraining themselves from losing their humanity in the midst of provocation and assured that the people’s petition would be passed on to President Bola Tinubu.

“I want to commend you that, in the midst of provocation, you have not lost your humanity. Your petition will be forwarded to Mr. President, who has shown that he has come as a deliverer.

He has assured me on several occasions that he wants to put an end to this cycle of violence, and I believe him because I have seen him give matching orders to the heads of the security agencies.

“We have also seen attempts by some security agencies to do the needful and have also seen some lapses, which we are also discussing with them. We would do all that we could to ensure that the carnage is stopped and that our land is secured.”