Former lawmaker representing Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency of Plateau State, Lumumba Dah Adeh, has called on the federal and Plateau State governments to halt the on-going killings and destruction of properties in Irigwe chiefdom.
The called followed attacks on Tuesday night which occurred in Hurra community, Irigwe, which left nine people including a pregnant woman, dead.
Adeh, former Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, spoke through a statement at the weekend in Jos.
He said: “Between January 1 and April 1, 2020, no less than 40 persons have been killed and eight injured in 19 separate attacks on 15 communities in Irigwe chiefdom of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.”
He pointed out that apart from those that died or wounded, the communities were still reeling in pains over loss of valuable properties, which included 15 farms, 330 houses and other items valued at millions of naira, cars, food barns, water pumps and motor bikes as a result of these attacks.
“The recent killings and destruction of property it appears, is a continuation of the spate of attacks on the peace loving people of Irigwe chiefdom which started over the years as some of the villages affected by the recent attacks like Rikwe Chongu, Ancha and Nkiedonwro have been attacked repeatedly.”
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Adeh lamented that while the people of Hurra were being murdered while complying with the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, the governor’s address of April 15, 2020 made no mention of them.
The former lawmaker stressed the urgent need to mobilise and stop the killings “because if the attacks continue and with the current seeming indifference on the part of the government and security agents it will definitely affect the confidence of the people in the ability or willingness of the government to protect them which will heighten suspicion that there are collaborators within who prefer to look the other way even as harmless people are being slaughtered in their homes.
“The people cannot reconcile why at the height of these attacks and the consequent dispersal of the villagers, no intervention or support has been extended to them as done to other communities who had found themselves in similar situations,” he said.
He pointed out that federal agencies like NEMA and others charged with the statutory functions of bringing succour to the people in such circumstances have been totally absent.”
He also said the Irigwe people, basically farmers, had been suffering deprivation and colossal losses in the past three years following persistent attacks perpetrated by suspected Fulani militias.
“Worse still, they are unable to go and cultivate their farms; and whenever they brave it and succeed in cultivating and nurturing the crops, the crops are destroyed at the nick of harvest,” he lamented.
