The brutal killings of over 160 Nigerians in three LGAs in Plateau state on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day by terrorists have once again illustrated the failure of the Nigerian state to protect its citizens. Over 20 villages across Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu LGAs were attacked in what has become a pattern of a failed or a fast-failing state.

I am sad, pained and aggrieved by the flagrant failure of the security agencies to thwart the terrorists’ plots or arrest them after their heinous crimes. Many Nigerians, including a retired general who had once served as the commander of Operation Safe Heaven on the Plateau, Gen. Henry Ayoola, believe that there are elements in the security agencies that collude with the terrorists and are complicit in these killings.

Defence Headquarters, the highest authority of the military high command, has stated that although the military did receive over 30 distress calls from the villagers when the attacks were going on, it could not respond soon enough because the terrain in those communities is bad. What an excuse! It sounds like the police telling victims of armed robbery that they had no petrol in their vehicles or the fire service complaining of lack of water in their trucks while a home is burning. How did the terrorists gain access to the communities if the terrain was that bad? Excuses like this give credence to speculations that some soldiers and, perhaps, officers may be sympathetic to the agenda and ideology of the killers.

The frequency of the killings and the fact that no single person has ever been arrested and prosecuted also support the theory of collusion by some members of our police and armed forces. It brings a sinking feeling to my stomach. Last June, over 100 villagers were slaughtered by terrorists in Mangu LGA alone. Nigerians of different walks of life and some members of the international community, have been shocked by what is apparently ethnic cleansing of the Christian communities of some parts of northern Nigeria. The Sultan of Sokoto, Middle Belt Forum, PANDEF, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Northern Governors’ Forum, Peter Obi, Shehu Sani are among those who have shown outrage at the carnage.

The Pope and Amnesty International (AI) have cried out. AI has a long history of criticising the military for what it describes as human rights abuses, but in the aftermath of the Christmas killings in Plateau, the country director of AI, Isa Sanusi, is going a step further to ask for a probe into the activities of the military. “The Nigerian authorities must investigate the inexcusable security lapses that allowed the horrific killing of over 140 people by gunmen across over 20 villages… Our investigation shows that the gunmen were on rampage of killing and destruction for more than 48 hours, moving from one village to another,” said Sanusi.

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A few days after the attacks, Ayoola, former commander of Operation Safe Haven, the very security organisation that was put in place to prevent terrorist attacks on the Plateau, was on Arise TV suggesting that some elements in the military are more loyal to the terrorists than the country. He should know. Ayoola said in the interview that he had submitted a detailed report to the military authorities on this before his retirement a few years ago.

The police authorities have also come under severe criticism for their tardiness and inability to secure the safety of the people. Nigerians are also venting their anger on President Bola Tinubu for hunkering down in his Lagos home, enjoying the holidays and refusing to visit Plateau state to express solidarity and compassion.

Although the president has dispatched Vice-President Shettima and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to Jos to meet with Plateau leaders, that is not enough to assuage frayed nerves. Some commentators are quick to liken his response to that of President Muhammadu Buhari who only issued sympathy statements and sent Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on countless condolence visits.

Why are US presidents eager to jump into Airforce One to fly to disaster areas, visit with local officials and offer words of comfort to affected communities but our own commanders-in-chief do not care as much when disaster strikes?

In the last two years, President Biden has visited over half a dozen cities to assess damage and comfort the hurt. In September 2021, he flew down to New York and New Jersey to survey damage from Hurricane Ida. In January 2023, he went to California to the damage from a series of devastating storms that slammed the western part of the country, forcing residents to flee mudslides and rising floodwaters.

In May 2023, he was in Utah and offered federal assistance to aid recovery efforts in those affected by flooding. In August, the president travelled 13 hours to Hawaii to tour destructions caused by wildfires and the following month, Joe Biden was in Florida to survey destruction from Hurricane Idalia and comfort victims. The essence of these visits is to show compassion and empathy, which is the number one quality of a good leader.

Just two months ago, terrorists crossed over from the Gaza Strip and killed over 220 people in Israel. Pronto! Prime Minister Netanyahu declared war against the terrorists and today, bombs are falling on Gaza.

But in Nigeria, terrorists from the same ancestry and with the same ideological bent, have been killing thousands of people of Plateau, Benue and Southern Kaduna for years now in a well-organized pogrom designed to seize their lands, yet no Nigerian leader has shown any capacity and political will to bring justice to them.

On the day of the attacks – October 7 – Netanyahu addressed his nation and promised to dismantle Hamas from power and destroy their military capabilities. The world has been watching with both admiration and anger as Israel’s Defence Force is pummeling Gaza. Leadership is everything. Those who trenchantly criticised Buhari for appearing soft on terrorists because he is of same ancestry as them will need to come up with new explanations on why the Tinubu administration is not acting differently.

The images of Plateau women rolling on the floor, crying and wailing over their misfortunes, and the men fleeing their villages with their mattresses and household items are too heart-wrenching for me. The sufferings of the vulnerable members of our communities cut me to the quick.

On December 5, the Nigerian military mistakenly dropped two bombs on the people of Tudun Biri in Kaduna State. Defence Headquarters later explained that the people were mistaken for terrorists. On December 24, terrorists invaded 20 villages in Plateau state and murdered over 150 people. The same Defence Headquarters explained that they couldn’t launch counterattacks to repel the attackers because of bad terrain. What more excuses should we expect? The shame of a country!

Views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of TheCable.

https://www.thecable.ng/killings-on-the-plateau-the-shame-of-a-nation/amp nlfpmod

Protect yourself by any means necessary


400,000 service men and women can't protect 200,000,000 civilians

Ireportlive:
Protect yourself by any means necessary


400,000 service men and women can't protect 200,000,000 civilians

True. Rapists full everywhere.

The same gang of hard-core jihadists engaging in the same cycle of violence, senseless bloodshed and killings to annihilate local inhabitants without government doing anything.

It's shameful that Tinubu with all the hype is not making any difference
He has even doubled down on Buhari's template
- Release a statement condemning the killings and condoling the bereaved
- Dispatch the Vice to the affected areas
- Make promises that this will not be allowed to happen again
- Order arrest of the culprits while admonishing the victims relations not to take laws into their hands
- Wait for the next one and repeat

Kukutenla:
It's shameful that Tinubu with all the hype is not making any difference
He has even doubled down on Buhari's template
- Release a statement condemning the killings and condoling the bereaved
- Dispatch the Vice to the affected areas
- Make promises that this will not be allowed to happen again
- Order arrest of the culprits while admonishing the victims relations not to take laws into their hands
- Wait for the next one and repeat

If you were the president what would you do differently

N

If people in Plateau pick arms the same Nigeria army will suddenly become active against them

Ireportlive:


If you were the president what would you do differently

I believe this question is to absolve the president of blame
But the question is premised on the assumption that the president is doing something which in my estimation he is not.
So the right question should be if I was president would I do something or nothing

Kukutenla:

I believe this question is to absolve the president of blame
But the question is premised on the assumption that the president is doing something which in my estimation he is not.
So the right question should be if I was president would I do something or nothing

Ok let me rephrase it

Will you do something on not?!

If yes

What are you going to do?!

Ireportlive:


Ok let me rephrase it

Will you do something on not?!

If yes

What are you going to do?!

I believe anyone will answer question 1 in the affirmative whether they mean to or not. So the question answers itself

As for two, it is a matter of what needs to be done versus whether it can be done.
There's no doubt in anyone's mind about what needs to be done. The question is IF it can be done. A President will have no problem doing it. A politician will have big issues with doing it. But a President cannot emerge without first being a politician.
So the question is if what needs to be done can be done by me if I were to be in the seat

Kukutenla:

I believe anyone will answer question 1 in the affirmative whether they mean to or not. So the question answers itself

As for two, it is a matter of what needs to be done versus whether it can be done.
There's no doubt in anyone's mind about what needs to be done. The question is IF it can be done. A President will have no problem doing it. A politician will have big issues with doing it. But a President cannot emerge without first being a politician.
So the question is if what needs to be done can be done by me if I were to be in the seat

This same issue has been going on since the colonial days of grazing route and reserve, the plateau plains and green vegetation

100 years down the line it's still a problem

Anyone with solutions is free to suggest at this point,

Since I was born I have been hearing of Jos crisis

Is there solution

Ireportlive:



This same issue has been going on since the colonial days of grazing route and reserve, the plateau plains and green vegetation

100 years down the line it's still a problem

Anyone with solutions is free to suggest at this point,

Since I was born I have been hearing of Jos crisis

Is there solution

Are you a Government official? If yes, why not launch a manhunt for these killers and arrest them abi dem be Ghosts Let's start from there first.

Tiiitoo:


Are you a Government official? If yes, why launch a manhunt for these killers and arrest them abi dem be Ghosts Let's start from there first.

Nigerian Army can't survive such terrain... COAS already said that

Ireportlive:


Nigerian Army can't survive such terrain... COAS already said that

What does this even mean??
So what are they getting paid for? It is the job of the armed forces to devise a way to maneuver such terrains, no excuses, afterall what's the huge budget being appropriated to the armed yearly meant for?

Citizens should not be left at the mercy of terrorists just because of the Government's incompetence.

What was the cause of Israel's IDF war with Hamas?
160 people died and the military is saying they can't access the terrain? So if it was foreign invaders, na him be say the country don fall be that. Shior!!!

Ireportlive:


Nigerian Army can't survive such terrain... COAS already said that

Continue deceiving yourself Oga. I know you are a Fulani man and you are here to defend your terrorists brothers. If the Plateau youths should arm themselves and start dealing with these Fulani terrorists in these same terrain, the useless Naija army will become active immediately not minding the terrain.

When some of us asked why Nigeria couldn't successfully run refineries like the Saudis, Norwegians and Russians do, we were attacked by those who said government has no business in business. We were told that government should focus on its core functions.

Ok. Fair enough. Focus on core functions, right?

Security is one of those core functions. In the last 1 month close to 400 souls have perished - several in mistargeted drone strikes by the Nigerian army...and the rest in a 48 hour killing spree by attackers who have escaped without a trace. Not a single one of the assailants in the Plateau massacres was captured or killed. Does that make any sense?

Some of us pointed out that the very reasons why Nigeria cannot run refineries is the same set of reasons it will not be able to secure lives and property. It is the same set of reasons why Nigeria cannot build schools, roads or hospitals. It is the same set of reasons we cannot balance our budgets (or heaven forbid, record a budget surplus). It is the same set of reasons why the Nigerian government just doesn't work, no matter what it puts its hand to.

Now we have some military 'generals' blaming the terrain for their abysmal failure to carry out their constitutional duty. Is this terrain in another country? The military failed the people of Plateau when they needed them most. They failed them and they failed them totally. Almost 200 souls gone in an orgy of violence and the assailants have all vanished into thin air. And we claim to have an army? We say we have a government?

Nigeria is not a country.

Waterysperm:

Continue deceiving yourself Oga. I know you are a Fulani man and you are here to defend your terrorists brothers. If the Plateau youths should arm themselves and start dealing with these Fulani terrorists in these same terrain, the useless Naija army will become active immediately not minding the terrain.

Lol.... I see on news when government officials visiting these places... the first thing on my mind is "Hunt down these freaking terrorists" but then i realise this is a depopulation strategy and some of the security personnel are in cahoot with the terrorists.

E no concern me. Let them go on. Tinubu has appointed a Northern minority Christian as Head of Security and another minority Northern Muslim as head of SSS. If they like, let them wipe out every living things in the North, Tinubu will not carry cutlasses and sword to go and fight bandits

Fujiyama:


When some of us asked why Nigeria couldn't successfully run refineries like the Saudis, Norwegians and Russians do, we were attacked by those who said government has no business in business. We were told that government should focus on its core functions.

Ok. Fair enough. Focus on core functions, right?

Security is one of those core functions. In the last 1 month close to 400 souls have perished - some in mistargeted drone strikes by the Nigerian army...and the rest in a 48 hour killing spree by attackers who have escaped without a trace. Not a single one of the assailants in the Plateau massacres was captured or killed. Does that make any sense?

Some of us pointed out that the very reasons why Nigeria cannot run refineries is the same set of reasons it will not be able to secure lives and property. It is the same set of reasons why Nigeria cannot build schools, roads or hospitals. It is the same set of reasons we cannot balance our budgets (or heaven forbid, record a budget surplus). It is the same set of reasons why the Nigerian government just doesn't work, no matter what it puts its hand to.

Now we have some military 'generals' blaming the terrain for their abysmal failure to carry out their constitutional duty. Is this terrain in another country? The military failed the people of Plateau when they needed them most. They failed them and they failed them totally. Almost 200 souls gone in an orgy of violence and the assailants have all vanished into thin air. And we claim to have an army? We say we have a government?

Nigeria is not a country.

"Not a single one of the assailants in the Plateau massacres was captured or killed"
(This is deep)

Now imagine 160 Americans or Europeans getting killed in their homesteads and the generals will say "They can't access the terrain".
What do you think will happen?

Ireportlive:


Nigerian Army can't survive such terrain... COAS already said that

^^^
Is that a valid excuse? Are you trying to be provocative here?

Tiiitoo:
"Not a single one of the assailants in the Plateau massacres was captured or killed"
(This is deep)

Now imagine 160 Americans or Europeans getting killed in their homesteads and the generals will say "They can't access the terrain".
What do you think will happen?

These people want to normalize this madness and they have succeeded to a certain extent. But they will not complete their mission.

This madness is not normal.

It isn't normal for a country's army/airforce to bomb hundreds of its own citizens (starting from the Rann bombings in 2017 and others since then to the latest one) and no one is held accountable. And the country's president states publicly at a so called condolence visit that..."it was desired by God". Is this normal? It isn't!

It isn't normal for terrorists to carry out several coordinated attacks in a space of 48 hours as they did in Plateau - leading to almost 200 casualties...and the so called military could not engage and neutralize a single one of the murderers. Not a single one. Instead, we are hearing abominable excuses about
'terrain'. Is this normal? Of course it isn't!

Some of us don't have bombs or guns or commands or battalions or a political base of any kind. The only weapon we have (apart from our votes) is our voices. We will continue to speak up against the injustice and complete wickedness that has taken over this country. The victims of all this bloodletting are usually those whom Nigeria has already forgotten. They are already poor and desperate. Must Nigeria take their lives too?

Nigeria is not a country. No normal country does what Nigeria does. Nigeria is not a country!

Ireportlive:



This same issue has been going on since the colonial days of grazing route and reserve, the plateau plains and green vegetation

100 years down the line it's still a problem

Anyone with solutions is free to suggest at this point,

Since I was born I have been hearing of Jos crisis

Is there solution

You're mixing issues up. The Jos crisis started in the early 2000s. It is an indigene, settler issue which ordinarily should be easy to settle based on Nigeria's existing laws. The problem is who You're applying the law for and against.

Kukutenla:

You're mixing issues up. The Jos crisis started in the early 2000s. It is an indigene, settler issue which ordinarily should be easy to settle based on Nigeria's existing laws. The problem is who You're applying the law for and against.

^^^
If I recall correctly, the problem started and kicked into high gear when the Babangida administration created (or tried to create) an emirate council in Jos North or Jos Central municipality (I'm not sure now...it was so long ago), against the wishes of the indigenes. Things went downhill rapidly from there...and we are where we are today.

Look at the casual way the fellow you quoted speaks so authoritatively...on issues he clearly has very limited knowledge of.

Kukutenla:

I believe anyone will answer question 1 in the affirmative whether they mean to or not. So the question answers itself

As for two, it is a matter of what needs to be done versus whether it can be done.
There's no doubt in anyone's mind about what needs to be done. The question is IF it can be done. A President will have no problem doing it. A politician will have big issues with doing it. But a President cannot emerge without first being a politician.
So the question is if what needs to be done can be done by me if I were to be in the seat

There was a post i made some months back on how to markedly improve security in Nigeria! This was when it began to dawn on even the most naive and trusting of Tinubu otimpkus that he was going to be as ineffective as his immediate predecessor!

What needs to be done isn’t rocket science! All it is is for Nigerians to ask themselves hard questions for a change and begin to implement all the recommendations that have been proffered over the years! Doing this will decentralise the structure of governance in Nigeria by handing resource control, policing and many other sectors back to the regions! The sub-units have to be regional and not the current proliferation of states that were created just to serve the interests of greedy and visionless local politicians!

Fujiyama:


^^^
If I recall correctly, the problem started and kicked into high gear when the Babangida administration created (or tried to create) an emirate council in Jos North or Jos Central municipality (I'm not sure now...it was so long ago), against the wishes of the indigenes. Things went downhill rapidly from there...and we are where we are today.

Look at the casual way the fellow you quoted speaks so authoritatively...on issues he clearly has very limited knowledge of.

You're conversant with the issue. The funny thing is Plateau is not the only middle belt state suffering that anomaly. Even in Abuja FCT, Bwari to be precise, such untoward experiment exists which has led to serious security implications.
The solution is simple and exists in our laws. The problem once again is when laws are ignored because it does not back the preferred horse of political actors. I'm sure if the foot was on the other shoe, the political actors will stand steadily on the side of the law

Fujiyama:


^^^
If I recall correctly, the problem started and kicked into high gear when the Babangida administration created (or tried to create) an emirate council in Jos North or Jos Central municipality (I'm not sure now...it was so long ago), against the wishes of the indigenes. Things went downhill rapidly from there...and we are where we are today.

Look at the casual way the fellow you quoted speaks so authoritatively...on issues he clearly has very limited knowledge of.

I’ve learnt to lower my expectations when it comes to certain monikers! Just reading his assessment of the situation should be enough to tell anyone he’s part of the problem…..one of those benefitting in one way or the other from the status-quo!

Kukutenla:

You're conversant with the issue. The funny thing is Plateau is not the only middle belt state suffering that anomaly. Even in Abuja FCT, Bwari to be precise, such untoward experiment exists which has led to serious security implications.
The solution is simple and exists in our laws. The problem once again is when laws are ignored because it does not back the preferred horse of political actors. I'm sure if the foot was on the other shoe, the political actors will stand steadily on the side of the law

^^^
It is a pity. IBB has a lot to answer for.

I was in Jos/Plateau for a project several years ago when things were really, really hot. I was at Terminus and Congorussia? for a while and the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. To raise the stakes even higher, Pauline Tallen? (or one of her candidates) was contesting in an election at the time and I was caught up right in the middle of it - in the centre of town. Several people died that evening.

Excellent climate - only Adamawa has similar in the whole country. A real shame what Plateau has turned into...and no end in sight.

LOVEALAIGBO:
There was a post i made some months back on how to markedly improve security in Nigeria! This was when it began to dawn on even the most naive and trusting of Tinubu otimpkus that he was going to be as ineffective as his immediate predecessor!

What needs to be done isn’t rocket science! All it is is for Nigerians to ask themselves hard questions for a change and begin to implement all the recommendations that have been proffered over the years! Doing this will decentralise the structure of governance in Nigeria by handing resource control, policing and many other sectors back to the regions! The sub-units have to be regional and not the current proliferation of states that were created just to serve the interests of greedy and visionless local politicians!

^^^
We all agree the current structure has brought nothing but pain and death. But going back to regionalism? I'm not so sure if that isn't a step backward...the cries of marginalisation by minorities will resume at a much louder volume. How will that be taken care of in a confederation?