Sen Gyang Dantong on Tuesday declared that persistent attacks on Plateau rural communities could only be halted if security officers raided settlements believed to have stockpiled arms.
“The victims of the attacks have always claimed that they know the attackers and believe that they are from some nearby villages.
“They (victims) also believe that the attackers have stockpiled arms which they use for the attacks. We feel that the security agencies should investigate such claims by the villages to ascertain the truth,’’ Dantong told the News of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Jos.
Dantong, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, spoke shortly after the burial of Mr John Daring, Chairman of the PDP in Sharubutu ward, Riyom Local Government, killed at the weekend by unknown gunmen, along with his wife and son.
He alleged that there were “lots of sophisticated arms and ammunition’’ in some villages in the troubled areas, and claimed that soldiers posted to safeguard the rural communities had always confirmed that the attackers usually use sophisticated weapons''.
The senator opined that the target of the attacks was to “overrun the area’’ and take over the villagers’ land.
Dantong challenged security agencies to intervene more forcefully so as to fish out arms used for such attacks so as to restore peace to the troubled rural settlements.
“Apparently, a war seems to have been declared on these rural dwellers and the sooner the security outfits intervened, the better because the rural dwellers may soon begin to feel that they have to seek self-help,’’ he said.
Dantong particularly regretted the attempt, last Sunday, to bomb the bridge linking Gol-Hoss village with Riyom, which, according to STF spokesman, Capt Salisu Mustafa, destroyed some pillars of the bridge as only one of the devices exploded.
“If the attempt had fully succeeded, that would have destroyed the only link between the usually attacked villages and Sho, Kwi, Riyom, Gashish and Rim districts.
“That bridge is the only link between the affected villages and rest of the world, so once it is destroyed, it means that when they are being attacked, members of the STF cannot even reach them to offer any assistance,’’ he said.
Dantong expressed surprise that the attacks had continued even after peace agreements between the Fulanis and Beroms toward complete ceasefire, and challenged law enforcement agents to enforce the peace deal endorsed by elders from both sides.
He also expressed disgust that farmers in the area had abandoned their farms for fear of being attacked, adding that crops on the few farms already cultivated had been destroyed.
“I fear a massive famine very soon,’’ he stated, and called for a quick end to hostilities so that the people could return to their normal lives.
But Plateau Police Commissioner, Emmanuel Ayeni, while decrying the protracted attacks in the area, has declared that Riyom had become the “albatross’’ of security agencies.
He challenged members of the public to offer useful information that would help the police to rid the state of such attacks, pointing out that security men were “not magicians’’ and could not be everywhere.
“We must all be intelligent officers; the police cannot rely on rumours. We need information we can verify and effectively use to rid Plateau of criminals,’’ he said.
Capt. Salisu Mustafa, media officer of the Special Task Force (STF) charged with maintaining peace in Plateau, has similarly expressed concerns over the incessant midnight attacks on rural dwellers which heightened in recent weeks.
Mustafa, however, called for reliable information that would help the members of the STF to tackle the menace and expressed readiness to always follow any clue given to the STF toward ending the violence.
Police spokesman Emmanuel Abu, who also reacted to the alleged prevalence of small arms and light weapons among some rural dwellers, said that the information had not been brought to the notice of the force.
“Now that you have hinted me, we shall promptly investigate. We shall work with the people to know the truth and ascertain what is happening.
“But, again, we shall need even more of such information to help us rid Plateau of criminals and make the state safe for not only the rural dwellers, but for everyone,’’ he said. (NAN)