Soldiers and other security agents, including the police, on Sunday intensified patrol in troubled communities of Plateau state.
The PUNCH reports that terrorists attacked 25 communities in Bokkos, Mangu, and Barkin Local Government Areas and killed over 150 persons on Christmas Eve.
The terrorists also destroyed properties worth millions of naira in the affected communities while over 10,000 persons were equally displaced and presently taking refuge at different IDP camps in the localities.
Some of the displaced persons who spoke with our Correspondent on Sunday lamented the tragedy that had befallen them.
The Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos LGA, Kefas Mallai, said the displaced persons were desirous of returning to their communities but could not do so because of fear of being attacked.
“Here in Bokkos, the situation of the IDPs is not palatable. They are simply suffering. Many of them want to go back to their communities but cannot do so because of insecurity.
“So, what the people want is for the security agents to go after the terrorists wherever they are hiding and recover the weapons so that the people can return to their communities which have remained deserted,” Mallai stated.
However, the Spokesman for Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, said the security patrol and surveillance in Plateau communities will continue until permanent peace is restored.
He said, “The men have been deployed. They are going everywhere being mentioned for possible searches. The patrol will continue until permanent peace returns to Plateau. Their (deployed personnel) welfare is being taken care of. So there is no excuse.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has said that the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu will not allow terrorists to bring Nigeria down.
Matawalle spoke in Jos on Sunday when he visited Governor Caleb Mutfwang at his official residence at the Rayfield Government House. He was accompanied by service chiefs and top military officers, including the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the GOC Commanding 3 Divisions, and the Chief of Military Intelligence, among others.
The Minister said, “We’re here to strengthen you after what happened on the eve of Christmas. As soon as we came in after the President directed us to come here, we went into a meeting with the traditional rulers of those communities affected, and we discussed the possible way out of the situation. We will win against these small rats. When I was a governor, I knew how I handled them. I insist that they are just small rats and we will not allow them to bring the country down.
“We must come together and muster the political will because, as politicians, we have to also find ways of defending ourselves. Mr. President is determined to end this evil. I was supposed to be on a journey, but he called on me to come here.
“The same is true of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs (Betta Edu), who was called out while on Christmas holiday. So we want to strengthen you, and after we get here, we will speak with you and give you some recommendations on how to deal with the situation.”
In a remark, Governor Caleb Mutfwang thanked the Minister and the Service chiefs for the visit.
He said Nigerians look up to them to address the security challenge in the country, pointing out that if the zeal and passion already demonstrated by them in tackling the security challenge in the country were seen in the past, the situation today would have been different in Plateau.
The governor said, “What I can tell you is that between Mangu, Bokkos, Riyom, and Bassa, you have some of the biggest mineral deposits, and that is why we have had some of these vicious attacks in Plateau as the strategy is to dislocate the people and use the land for mining.
“We have had communities that have been displaced in the last ten years. Today, the first hydroelectric station in Nigeria is in Kura Falls, where you have NESCO, but ordinary mortals can not work there because they will not come out alive. While NESCO is a private company, it is a national monument, and these are some of the things we must protect.
The governor, who thanked the president for ordering the deployment of armed forces to do their work, expressed confidence that the efforts to restore lasting peace in Plateau would yield the desired results.
