PRESS RELEASE

29th January, 2020

With the atrocious killings that have once again shaken the foundations of our sanity reportedly committed by Fulani herdsmen who have now earned the recognition to be rightfully referred to as the enemies of Plateau State, we of the Plateau Heritage Movement, PHM, are sickened by these acts of barbarism, and tired of telling the world what we are facing and continue suffer as a people.

The attacks in Kwatas, Ruboi, and Marish communities of Bokkos Local Government Area on Sunday 26th January, 2020 and in Murish, Mangu Local Government Area the following day, which took over 22 precious lives from us are acts of willful provocation which we cannot continue to tolerate.

The time has come and the time is now, for all Plateau people wherever we are on the face of the earth to realize that we are no longer safe within the boundaries of the territory called Nigeria. While Boko Haram has declared war against us outside our State, within it, we are being hunted, killed, and displaced by Fulani herdsmen who are attempting to still our heritage.

After all we have been through as a people under God, we now know that we cannot get protection or security from the Federal Government of Nigeria as presently constituted, neither can we get justice after we have been killed, raped, and displaced. It is a sad thing to finally realize that we are on our own, and that help may not come from the powers that run Nigeria.

That is why the Governor of Plateau State, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong must take a stand. He must choose between political correctness and the safety of our people. He must hearken to the loud cry for the revival and strengthening of Operation Rainbow along with local efforts in communities all over the State toward security and self defense, as currently undertaken by the brave men and women of Nigeria Vigilante Group, VGN.

Importantly, the change we expect from our Governor must be cognitive as well as wholistic. We commend him for asserting perhaps for the first time, thereby shocking us in the process, that he has changed, by ordering the detention of the Ardos (Fulani Community Leaders) and other Community Leaders in an effort to unmask the criminals oiling and running the machine of death in Plateau State. His response to the killings last month in Kulben, Kombun District of Mangu Local Government Area earlier in the month was also worthy of commendation. It seemingly signifies a turning point in what we suspect to be early signs of a Governor’s return home back to his people, but we are under no illusion by these unprecedented gestures as long as we are being killed at home and outside without any decisive action from him.

We want to see our leader continuously talking tough whenever we are attacked and inspiring our people to rise up to protect the lives of our children, wives, mothers, fathers, and these blessed lands God graciously gave us. We want a Governor that would embolden a generation to put an end to the invasion of our lands and the immeasurably painful slaughter of our people. We want a Governor who can summon a Plateau Security Summit at a time like this to help us organize a resistance against these murderous onslaughts by our enemies. To be sure, we want a Governor who can genuinely be The Governor of Plateau State, not by name or title, but by the courageous actions he would take to secure the lives, properties, and wellbeing of his people.

While we anxiously wait for that transformation, may God comfort us all, and may His Holy Spirit of righteousness and justice, teach us how to defend ourselves.

~Mangna Yusuf Wamyil
Convener, Plateau Heritage Movement

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Plateau Heritage Movement Mourn Victims of Bokkos Killings, Calls on Security Agencies to be more Proactive