The Plateau State chapter of the Coalition of Fulani Registered Organizations (COFRO), has given conditions for peace in the state which include the immediate and unconditional release of all arrested and detained Fulani people, disclosure of the whereabouts of their missing members as a result of the marauding attacks on their communities by security agencies, and a guarantee that natives will no longer kill their cattle.
The Chairman of the coalition, Garba Abdullahi Muhammad, who gave the conditions at a news briefing in Kaduna on Tuesday, stressed that lack of justice from the government and security agency for affected Fulani herdsmen and their families was responsible for the escalation of the crisis in the Plateau State.
Muhammad further called on the Federal Government to set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the attacks and killings of natives in Bokkos Local Government Area and other part of the state.
He also called for compensation for all victims of the crisis irrespective of religious and ethnic sentiment.
“We call on the federal government to set an independent and unbiased panel of inquiry to investigate these incidents and compensate victims appropriately regardless of religious or ethnic affiliations,” Muhammad said.
“The government should deploy neutral security personnel to restore peace and normalcy, protect the Fulani community and other communities from aggression and intimidation.
“We also demand the immediate removal of the Commander, Sector 5 Operation Safe Haven Bokkos, Col. Dauda Magem, for bias, unprofessional military conduct, inciting violence, inciting religious intolerance and bigotry, incompetence and violation of military ethics and constitutional provisions.
“We call for unconditional release of all arrested and detained people and disclosure of the whereabouts of the missing individuals as a result of the commander marauding attacks on their communities,” he said.
Mohammad also called for the disbandment of the “Operation Rainbow” security outfit which he referred to as an anti-Muslim squad, the arrest and prosecution of operatives allegedly involved in the “killing, maiming, arresting and displacing Fulani communities in Bokkos.”
The Coalition stated that by the news conference, it was bringing the “attention of the general public, security agencies, state and federal governments, other stakeholders and the international community, on the continuous aggression on Fulani people in Plateau State,” while enjoining all “Nigerian regardless of ethnic, religious and regional background to work together in synergy to fight injustice, criminality and bias for a meaningful development.”
SOURCE: PLATEAU NEWS WATCH
