Plateau State governor, Jonah David Jang, has ruled out the possibility that those who unleashed the recent violence on some villages in the state were Fulani herdsmen, saying he had lived with Fulani for too long to believe that.

He said those who committed the act were “outsiders”, but he did not say exactly who.

Hundreds of people were killed in two separate attacks on villages in Jos South Local Government Area of the state early this month. The attacks were widely reported to have been perpetrated by Fulani pastoralists avenging the killings in Kuru Karama village in January.

Speaking to State House reporters after a visit to Acting President Goodluck Jonathan in company of members of the Solomon Lar Committee yesterday, Jang said everything is being done to address the situation in the state and restore peace.

The governor said: “I came to brief the acting president on the latest situation and how far we have gone. I believe that with the additional (security) forces sent in for deployment in all the various localities to ensure that lives and property is protected, as you know, you can win a war but you cannot win peace, not easily.

“Everything is being done to ensure that peace returns to Plateau State. We have started talking to various groups; particularly the Fulani who have been living here for so many years.”

On the Fulani, he said, “Also I can assure you that I was born in a neighbourhood of the Fulani. The neighbour of my father was a Fulani man and I grew up with his children and even went to tend his cows, and if you look at my age now, around 66, then you would understand how long the Fulani have lived around the Berom and other indigenes of Plateau State.

“We would do everything to ensure that all these outsiders that are coming in to create disharmony … we can never wish each other away. You don't even know the difference between the Fulani and the natives who are cattle rearers.

“We want peace on the Plateau, we want to live as brothers and sisters. We are Nigerians, we must be able to live together."

Jang said when there is this type of crisis, one can never rule out the outbreak of sectarian skirmishes here and there, but "gradually the security agents are doing everything possible to trace this kind of situation. “

“People are still bitter with each other but it takes time to win peace," he added.

Meanwhile, the special military task force on the restoration of peace in Plateau State has confirmed the arrest of two suspected cattle rustlers in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state, as well as the recovery of five out of the 30 cows stolen from the area a few day ago.

Also, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of "B" division, Bukuru, headquarters of Jos South Local Government Area of the state, was among the two people wounded as he and his men were struggling to quell a riot that broke out in the area.

LEADERSHIP gathered that some youths engaged in a free-for-all fight after a football game, a commotion that led to the blocking of roads and assault on passers-by.

Four people were arrested in connection with the incident.

The commander of the task force, Major General Saleh Maina, who confirmed the incident, said the situation has since been brought under control.

He enjoined the people in the area to cooperate with the military in its efforts to bring lasting peace to the troubled areas.

Source Please! Where did he say I am sorry? propaganda!!

Liar. Pro Fulani dude trying to spread propaganda. You must be mad blood.

[size=18pt]HAUSA/FULANI defence forces (army whithin an army)[/size].

Thats the signature of originator of this thread. He celebrates the nepotism that goes on in the Nigerian Army.

That I think tells you where his interests lies.

What is propaganda in this, firstly you he accused fulanis of all the wrong things happening in plateau and now he've made 360 degrees turn and he's praising them, he dos'nt have to say sorry verbally for him to mean he's sorry, cos actions speaks louder than voice, he's really sorry and he's begging.

@mikeansy, is there any nepotism in the Nigerian Army? well, i dont know of it, every state in Nigeria is represented in the Army so what sh.it nepotism ar you saying.

hausa / fulani MUMU trying to cover the mess of his COWard fellow brothers, where did he say sorry? can't u type in English? Arabic is allowed, besides where is d link to ur post? Anuofia!

why is the moderator allowing this misleading title? This goon is seeking relevance in nairaland. I still dont know why Nlers are even responding to his biased posts. A barrack boy claiming to be a soldier. Go to zaria and enlist or go to school and apply to NDA.

@hillsate, why body dey pepper you anytime wey we expose jang? well, pikin wey say him mama no go sleep, him too no go sleep. barrack boy or no barrack boy, atleast now una dey fear to touch any HAUSA/FULANI guy cos if you do, BAD things will happen.

@@@@@@@@@@@

im sorry then what?

@lkeyman00, then forgiven.

@18 platoon
Jesus once said to the pharisees and I paraphrase: "You say you see, but yet you are blind". In your case, you think a good strategy is to proclaim that there is an Hausa/Fulani Defense Forces as an Army within the Nigerian Army. Keep proclaiming that worldwide and thinking all other ethnic groups are mumu. The joke is on you!

18 platoon:

@lkeyman00, then forgiven.

@naijamini, yeah whatever.

@18 platoon

That makes you a liar. You have been all over this place boasting about how Hausa/Fulanis retaliated for the previous incident. You took your boast as far as to claim that you have an Hausa/Fulani army within the Nigerian army, and promising that you are ready with your weapons.

He was not saying sorry, he was being diplomatic - as the governor of a state with many ethnic groups - something that seems to escape your violent mind.

He knows, you know, and everyone knows that Hausa/Fulanis were responsible for the last event - they came out and said so, and so did you - 18 platoon.

If you want to take the olive branch Gov. Jang and the Nigerian government is extending, you would take it as cue to: 1) Call for unity; 2) Ask that every participant in the last act be used as an example of swift justice that is the only way to prevent recurring violence; 3) Call for a just settlement of all issues involved. However, when I asked you what the issues were and how you think it should be resolve peacefully from your point of view, you went silent. However, you found time to proclaim an Hausa/Fulani Army and to promise to meet someone at college park. And now you are coming here to gloat over diplomatese.

Think peace, but if you keep preparing for war your potential victims would be major fools to fold their arms.

18 platoon:

What is propaganda in this, firstly you he accused fulanis of all the wrong things happening in plateau and now he've made 360 degrees turn and he's praising them, he dos'nt have to say sorry verbally for him to mean he's sorry, cos actions speaks louder than voice, he's really sorry and he's begging.

@naijamini, am not as violent as you think and afterall violence is not the exclusive preserve of any one individual, it is reciprocal. my pain is that jang is persecuting innocent people for someone's misdeeds, he have issues with babangida but he's punishing anybody whose ID says HAUSA/FULANI/MUSLIM. look during dariye there was similar case but dariye handled it with wisdom, but jang will go around making threats, after the january crisis jang was in shendam to commission some projects and he said somethings that are inflamatory, hear him ""they do not know that i am an old soldier who is retired but not tired, i am ready to deal with them no matter how many they're""
Should a good leader who want peace be making that kind of statement, I DONT THINK SO, not upto to a week after this statement, HAUSA/FULANI/MUSLIM women, children and the aged where massacared in there sleep,300 of them in kuru karama, kuru jentar and tim tim nobody said anything not even the press if not aljazeera, and i think everyone deserves to be treated fairly, but when you refuse to do justice then there will be chaos, and jang have told to sit up or give his seat and he can even be jailed if he makes any noise cos he's cockroach and you know what happens to cockroaches.

As for ezeuche in maryland we've sorted ourselves and he's a hommy now.

@naijamini, if you want i can give you a joke why everyone thinks fulani dumb, but they're not, they're calculating.

@18 platoon
Only foolish people would label any ethnic group dumb, like some like to label others treacherous and so on. If Jang made those statements what should have been done is drag him to the Senate, the President, the Nigerian people so that we all recognize what is brewing beforehand.

Like I said what needs to happen now is not to sweep anything under the carpet. The last perperator of violence must always be held responsible. If the law enforcers are doing their job, then that last perperator would also be the first perperator. If by omission or commission someone gets away with violence and the victims retaliate they assume the role of the perperator, and so on and so forth.

In Jos, all those who have been arrested from the first incident to the last should be made to face swift justice, including the death penalty, and measures must be taken to resolve whatever issues are causing the fracas.

I still say that you cannot, and should not, declare an Hausa/Fulani Army within the Nigerian Army, whichever way you look at it. That is the equivalent of Jang's statement, and as we have seen two (or many) wrongs don't make right - only more wrongs.

18 platoon:

@naijamini, if you want i can give you a joke why everyone thinks fulani dumb, but they're not, they're calculating.