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Plateau massacre: International communities have deserted Nigeria — Group

A Plateau State-based human rights organisation, Para-Mallam Peace Foundation (PMPF) has lamented that the international communities kept mum while crimes against humanity are committed unabated in Nigeria.

Reacting to the attack on some communities in Plateau State by suspected militia in some Local Government Areas in Plateau State which claimed the lives of about 200 persons, the organisation warned that Nigeria would not exist without the Middle Belt because of its importance in the country.

The President/CEO of PMPF, Reverend Gideon Para-Mallam, in a statement issued after visiting the victims of the attacks, said the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the incident is now 5,000, while eight churches were burnt down.

Para-Mallam condoled with the people of Bokkos Local Government Area, Governor Caleb Mutfwang and the people of Plateau State and Nigerians.

He said, “What happened in Bokkos appears clearly motivated by genocidal intent, land grabbing and occupation by conquest. Should the Plateau State government continue to lament and watch on in helplessness? Should the Federal Government of Nigeria reduce itself to an entity which only issues condolence press statements with no tangible results while the carnage continues and the aggressors are never found or prosecuted until another round of similar horrible genocidal attacks take place?

“Sometimes in 2019, during an attack in Waren village in Barkin Ladi LGA by Armed Fulani herdsmen, they had threatened that a time would come when Christians would not be allowed to celebrate Christmas. They suggested that Christians will be running with their Christmas meat in their hands and will enjoy no peace in eating such meat.

“What is wrong with our nation? Why have we ended up with leaders who overlook blatant criminality and engender a system that discourages freedom of religion and belief? Why does the international community remain silent while crimes against humanity are committed with reckless abandon in Nigeria?

“If the world is interested in ending the killings in Nigeria, let the sad and unprovoked attacks on innocent lives in Bokkos, on Christmas Day, serve to arouse the conscience of the nation and the world to unite and save lives.

“Why have Nigerians not united in their condemnation and concerted action to end the terrorism that is going on in the Middle Belt Savannah region of Nigeria? Why does the global community constantly engage in looking the other way when innocent women and children are being massacred; yet the perpetrators are not called out and prosecuted and the government is yet to take real decisive steps to end the carnage?

“The Presidency should not allow itself to be deceived into believing that what is happening in Plateau is a tit-for-tat situation. It is not! To believe so means following a misleading narrative decoy which will lead to no peaceful solution that is rooted in truth and social justice. Those who defend their families, homes and communities, must not be labelled as engaging in tit-for-tat reprisals.

“Self-defence is a right upheld by constitutions around the world. The people of Bokkos tried to defend their towns but they were overwhelmed by a fighting force who came bent on carrying out a genocidal mission. The sophisticated weaponry used should concern our government. How come such deadly arms are allowed into the hands of these killers who continue to kill with such reckless abandon?”

Furthermore, the organisation said only a fleeing woman who fell into a ditch survived to tell the story of how a nine-year-old primary school pupil in Chriang village, Regard Yusuf, was tricked by the bandits into his mother’s hideout, along with other 23 women during the attacks in Mangur, Bokkos but was slaughtered by the bandits despite promises that they would not kill him.

“Consequently, 23 women including the 9-year-old boy and his mother were slaughtered. Veronica Mallan and 9-month-old Godwin Mallan were among those killed. The murderers lied to the boy that he would not be killed but did the exact opposite, sending him to an early grave. A 9-year-old boy and a 9-month-old baby: two young promising lives were among the 160 people killed by the forces of terrorism and wickedness. Only one woman who fell into a ditch while fleeing was left to tell the story,” Para-Mallam said.

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