Indigenous youth associations in Plateau State on Wednesday said no fewer than 50 persons have been killed within one week in renewed attacks on communities in Riyom and Bassa Local Government Areas, with hundreds of residents displaced, as they called on the Federal Government to ensure justice for victims and fast-track the establishment of state police.
The groups also appealed to the Federal Government to deploy more operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, to vulnerable communities, saying the agency’s intelligence-driven operations had yielded positive results in curbing attacks.
The demands were contained in a communiqué presented at a joint press conference in Jos by the Afizere, Anaguta, Atakar, Aten, Berom, Irigwe, Kulere, Mushere, Mwaghavul, Pan and Ron Youth Associations.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, President of the Berom Youth Moulders-Association, BYM, Barr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, lamented that the recent attacks had claimed at least 50 lives within one week and displaced hundreds of people, many of whom were still unable to return to their ancestral homes.
He said the immediate relief victims deserved was justice through the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the attacks, as well as improved security to prevent further bloodshed.
“The first relief victims deserve is justice, but they have not received it. Those behind these attacks must be identified, arrested and prosecuted.
“The second is improved security. We witnessed relative peace after the deployment of personnel of the Department of State Services to one of the affected local government areas. Their intelligence-driven operations made a significant difference before the recent resurgence of attacks,” he said.
Mwantiri described the condition of internally displaced persons, IDPs, as “very pathetic”, noting that although the Plateau State Government had commenced the construction of 100 housing units for displaced persons in Bokkos Local Government Area, hundreds of victims remained displaced and were yet to return to their communities.
He commended the state government for facilitating the deployment of security personnel and providing humanitarian assistance but insisted that more support was needed to enable displaced communities to rebuild their lives.
The youth leader urged the federal government to deploy additional DSS personnel to communities affected by the violence, arguing that intelligence-led operations had proved more effective in restoring peace.
He also threw the coalition’s weight behind the proposed establishment of state police, urging the National Assembly to expedite action on the legislation and President Bola Tinubu to assent to the bill once passed.
According to him, traditional rulers should be assigned key roles in the recruitment and screening of personnel to prevent criminal elements from infiltrating the proposed security outfit.
He warned against any process that could allow persons with questionable backgrounds to gain entry into the state police structure, saying adequate safeguards must be put in place to preserve the integrity of the institution.
The coalition further called on the federal government to strengthen intelligence gathering, prosecute perpetrators of attacks, facilitate the safe return of displaced persons to their ancestral homes and provide sustained humanitarian assistance to victims of violence across Plateau State.
