Genocide on the plateau: The Jang factor
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- Category: Comments
- Written by Suleiman Mannan & Pius Alkali
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The Nigerian state has endured varied experiences of ethnic and religious crises since the period of the First Republic, through to the Nigerian Civil War, Maitatsine riots, Second Republic elections, Kafanchan and Zangon Kataf riots, to mention a few. As expected, these crises always take a heavy toll on lives and properties and leave in their wake an army of bitterly disillusioned victims and survivors. Except for the civil war, the impacts of these crises were relatively less disturbing to what obtains today, because they occurred sparingly and were largely restricted to small geographical areas.
During the Abacha era, fewer crises were recorded apparently due to the tightening of security at the time. However, since the return to democratic rule in 1999, the Nigerian state has witnessed a surge in the orgies of riots and senseless killing across some of the federating units usually along the divides of ethnicity, religion and cultism.
While some commentators opined that the remote cause is poverty and mistrust among the warring factions, many informed observers believe a good number of crises witnessed were politically induced among other reasons. The recurring and intractable ethno-religious mayhem that engulfed Jos metropolis and its environs is one crisis too many. The situation was further compounded by the comments of a section of the media and indeed those attributed to the top government functionaries of Plateau State which appear too partisan and in some cases offer tacit support to the aggressors, the Birom youths.
The impunity with which the irate Birom youths conducted their latest executions lends credence to our suspicion that they were given the green light from high places. It is therefore not surprising that since these crises began in 2001, only a few persons were arrested and it is doubtful if anyone has been convicted. However, no matter where one stands, the recent crises on the Plateau in which several hundreds of hapless Nigerians were butchered has brought to the fore the need to find a lasting solution to the ethno-religious crisis for the sake of the corporate unity of the Nigerian nation.
Since the crisis began on Sunday, 17th January, 2010, we read about the carnage that took place in Plateau State through the media and we have listened to the gory tales of survivors of the massacre with so much incredulity initially. Our misgivings were rooted in the assumption that in this 21st century, human beings ought to have transcended the practice of heinous and barbaric debauchery of ancient times whose traces were last seen in Bosnia and Rwanda genocides.
All our doubts were, however, cleared when Aljazeera aired the footage of the gruesomely massacred men, women, children and the elderly all of Hausa/Fulani stock and dumped in soak away pits and wells. It was reported that areas worst hit were satellite towns and villages surrounding Jos such as Kuru Karama (Gada Biyu), Forom, Timtum, Kuru Babba, Vom, Gero, Sabon Gida Bisichi, Mai Adiko,, Sabon Gida Kanar, Bunanu, Dogo na Hauwa, Bawan Dodo and Barikin Ladi.
The manner of the blue murder of helpless and innocent persons on account of their ethnicity and religion smacks of the worst form indignity for human lives and speaks volumes about the savagery of the murders. Discerning Nigerians have come to the conclusion that under the present Plateau State administration, it appears that human lives have lost value and the security of the lives of non-indigenes and non-native Plateau indigenes cannot be guaranteed.
Recent experiences have also shown that no amount of panels of inquiry or talk shows would return the Plateau State government to the path of reason. This shocking reality informed the evacuation of the National Youth Service Corps members and mass exodus of indigenes of so many states. The current state of affairs and imminent security threats is a vote of no confidence and an indictment on the Plateau State government. Despite the unprecedented blood-letting, the state government has, however, continued to capitalise on the ignorance of the wider public to distort facts and play ostrich in the face of gross incompetence and dereliction of duty.
The reign of violence and terror that continue to put Plateau State in the spotlight cannot be allowed to continue unchallenged. Indeed, it is time all the culprits and their cohorts accounted for their crimes against humanity. While the comments of the Vice President during his visit to Jos that perpetrators would answer for their crimes could be very reassuring, we must remain vigilant to ensure that the course of justice is served. The reason for this call is not farfetched.
For over eight years, there has been deliberate and systematic attempt to not only deprive law-abiding citizens of their basic human rights by the state and its agents, but to also exterminate a particular ethnic group through ethnic cleansing. It is only in Plateau State that a governor sponsors a bill in the state House of Assembly to officially designate a particular ethnic group “non-indigenes” contrary to the letter and spirit of the Nigerian constitution.
As we noted during the November 2008 crisis, the recent mayhem just like the ones before it, was a premeditated genocide against Hausa/Fulani. The Advanced Oxford Dictionary simply defines genocide as “the deliberate killing of a very large number of people from a particular ethnic group or nation”. The video footage of the over 300 bodies of Hausa/Fulani dead identified in those wells and soak away pits perfectly fits the definition of genocide.
It therefore behoves on the international community, particularly the United Nations and all well-meaning people to view the gruesome murder and destruction of Muslims and Hausa/Fulani in Plateau State for what it is. We are also using this medium to appeal to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the international community to support our desire for the United Nations to as a matter of urgency set up an independent inquiry into the recent Jos crises that left over 300 people, mostly women and children, dead. This is necessary because unless that is done, there’ll be no lasting peace in sight in that part of Nigeria.
We are not unaware that in Nigeria where political expediency is supreme, it is possible to sweep the recent Plateau genocide under the carpet like the ones before it hence the need for the international community to get involved. It should be borne in mind that the massacre of Hausa/Fulani in all the aforementioned villages by mostly irate Birom youths is reminiscent of the Rwandan genocide. After all, we were once told after Rwanda that such tragedy will never happen again in the world, but here we are some years later and people are still toying with the idea of exterminating one race from the face of this world.
Hence, by ensuring that the perpetrators are punished, the international community would be giving the victims succour and justice. It will also send a strong message to those who harbour such nefarious intentions and serve as deterrent to others living in the Stone Age.
In the light of the foregoing, we call on the Federal Government, Plateau State government and the international community to ensure the following as a matter of urgency:
(1) Provide immediate and adequate security to all so-called settlers and non-indigenes within Plateau State, particularly the Hausa/Fulani who are the prime targets of hate violence.
(2) Remove the Governor of Plateau State for dereliction of duty and gross incompetence.
(3) Provide relief materials and medical attention to the displaced persons.
(4) Pay full compensation to all those who lost their properties and loved ones as well as the immediate resettlement of displaced persons.
(5) Abolish indigene/settler dichotomy created by the Plateau State Government.
(6) Prosecute all suspects for genocide and crimes against humanity without fear or favour.
It is our belief in the long run that justice will help to build trust and mutual coexistence among the people. The killing of innocent children, women and very elderly people cannot be condoned let alone promoted by any religion in the world. The blood and souls of the victims cry for justice. We call on the appropriate authorities to rise to the occasion and stem the tide towards anarchy.
Mamman, Coordinator & Alkali, General Secretary wrote from Coalition for the Defence of Human Dignity (CDHD), No. 50, Mauritius Street, Wuse Zone 7, Abuja.
Articles
Genocide on the plateau: The Jang factor
Category: Comments Written by Suleiman Mannan & Pius Alkali Hits: 1088
The Nigerian state has endured varied experiences of ethnic and religious crises since the period of the First Republic, through to the Nigerian Civil War, Maitatsine riots, Second Republic elections, Kafanchan and Zangon Kataf riots, to mention a few. As expected, these crises always take a heavy toll on lives and properties and leave in their wake an army of bitterly disillusioned victims and survivors. Except for the civil war, the impacts of these crises were relatively less disturbing to what obtains today, because they occurred sparingly and were largely restricted to small geographical areas.
During the Abacha era, fewer crises were recorded apparently due to the tightening of security at the time. However, since the return to democratic rule in 1999, the Nigerian state has witnessed a surge in the orgies of riots and senseless killing across some of the federating units usually along the divides of ethnicity, religion and cultism.
While some commentators opined that the remote cause is poverty and mistrust among the warring factions, many informed observers believe a good number of crises witnessed were politically induced among other reasons. The recurring and intractable ethno-religious mayhem that engulfed Jos metropolis and its environs is one crisis too many. The situation was further compounded by the comments of a section of the media and indeed those attributed to the top government functionaries of Plateau State which appear too partisan and in some cases offer tacit support to the aggressors, the Birom youths.
The impunity with which the irate Birom youths conducted their latest executions lends credence to our suspicion that they were given the green light from high places. It is therefore not surprising that since these crises began in 2001, only a few persons were arrested and it is doubtful if anyone has been convicted. However, no matter where one stands, the recent crises on the Plateau in which several hundreds of hapless Nigerians were butchered has brought to the fore the need to find a lasting solution to the ethno-religious crisis for the sake of the corporate unity of the Nigerian nation.
Since the crisis began on Sunday, 17th January, 2010, we read about the carnage that took place in Plateau State through the media and we have listened to the gory tales of survivors of the massacre with so much incredulity initially. Our misgivings were rooted in the assumption that in this 21st century, human beings ought to have transcended the practice of heinous and barbaric debauchery of ancient times whose traces were last seen in Bosnia and Rwanda genocides.
All our doubts were, however, cleared when Aljazeera aired the footage of the gruesomely massacred men, women, children and the elderly all of Hausa/Fulani stock and dumped in soak away pits and wells. It was reported that areas worst hit were satellite towns and villages surrounding Jos such as Kuru Karama (Gada Biyu), Forom, Timtum, Kuru Babba, Vom, Gero, Sabon Gida Bisichi, Mai Adiko,, Sabon Gida Kanar, Bunanu, Dogo na Hauwa, Bawan Dodo and Barikin Ladi.
The manner of the blue murder of helpless and innocent persons on account of their ethnicity and religion smacks of the worst form indignity for human lives and speaks volumes about the savagery of the murders. Discerning Nigerians have come to the conclusion that under the present Plateau State administration, it appears that human lives have lost value and the security of the lives of non-indigenes and non-native Plateau indigenes cannot be guaranteed.
Recent experiences have also shown that no amount of panels of inquiry or talk shows would return the Plateau State government to the path of reason. This shocking reality informed the evacuation of the National Youth Service Corps members and mass exodus of indigenes of so many states. The current state of affairs and imminent security threats is a vote of no confidence and an indictment on the Plateau State government. Despite the unprecedented blood-letting, the state government has, however, continued to capitalise on the ignorance of the wider public to distort facts and play ostrich in the face of gross incompetence and dereliction of duty.
The reign of violence and terror that continue to put Plateau State in the spotlight cannot be allowed to continue unchallenged. Indeed, it is time all the culprits and their cohorts accounted for their crimes against humanity. While the comments of the Vice President during his visit to Jos that perpetrators would answer for their crimes could be very reassuring, we must remain vigilant to ensure that the course of justice is served. The reason for this call is not farfetched.
For over eight years, there has been deliberate and systematic attempt to not only deprive law-abiding citizens of their basic human rights by the state and its agents, but to also exterminate a particular ethnic group through ethnic cleansing. It is only in Plateau State that a governor sponsors a bill in the state House of Assembly to officially designate a particular ethnic group “non-indigenes” contrary to the letter and spirit of the Nigerian constitution.
As we noted during the November 2008 crisis, the recent mayhem just like the ones before it, was a premeditated genocide against Hausa/Fulani. The Advanced Oxford Dictionary simply defines genocide as “the deliberate killing of a very large number of people from a particular ethnic group or nation”. The video footage of the over 300 bodies of Hausa/Fulani dead identified in those wells and soak away pits perfectly fits the definition of genocide.
It therefore behoves on the international community, particularly the United Nations and all well-meaning people to view the gruesome murder and destruction of Muslims and Hausa/Fulani in Plateau State for what it is. We are also using this medium to appeal to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the international community to support our desire for the United Nations to as a matter of urgency set up an independent inquiry into the recent Jos crises that left over 300 people, mostly women and children, dead. This is necessary because unless that is done, there’ll be no lasting peace in sight in that part of Nigeria.
We are not unaware that in Nigeria where political expediency is supreme, it is possible to sweep the recent Plateau genocide under the carpet like the ones before it hence the need for the international community to get involved. It should be borne in mind that the massacre of Hausa/Fulani in all the aforementioned villages by mostly irate Birom youths is reminiscent of the Rwandan genocide. After all, we were once told after Rwanda that such tragedy will never happen again in the world, but here we are some years later and people are still toying with the idea of exterminating one race from the face of this world.
Hence, by ensuring that the perpetrators are punished, the international community would be giving the victims succour and justice. It will also send a strong message to those who harbour such nefarious intentions and serve as deterrent to others living in the Stone Age.
In the light of the foregoing, we call on the Federal Government, Plateau State government and the international community to ensure the following as a matter of urgency:
(1) Provide immediate and adequate security to all so-called settlers and non-indigenes within Plateau State, particularly the Hausa/Fulani who are the prime targets of hate violence.
(2) Remove the Governor of Plateau State for dereliction of duty and gross incompetence.
(3) Provide relief materials and medical attention to the displaced persons.
(4) Pay full compensation to all those who lost their properties and loved ones as well as the immediate resettlement of displaced persons.
(5) Abolish indigene/settler dichotomy created by the Plateau State Government.
(6) Prosecute all suspects for genocide and crimes against humanity without fear or favour.
It is our belief in the long run that justice will help to build trust and mutual coexistence among the people. The killing of innocent children, women and very elderly people cannot be condoned let alone promoted by any religion in the world. The blood and souls of the victims cry for justice. We call on the appropriate authorities to rise to the occasion and stem the tide towards anarchy.
Mamman, Coordinator & Alkali, General Secretary wrote from Coalition for the Defence of Human Dignity (CDHD), No. 50, Mauritius Street, Wuse Zone 7, Abuja.