Violent protest yesterday rocked Jos, the Plateau State capital, over last Saturday’s killing of over 200 people by herdsmen. The protesters, including young men and women and the aged, dressed in black attires. They carried placards with various inscriptions such as: “We say no to Jihadists,” “We say no to genocide on the Plateau,” and “We do not want forceful takeover of our land,” among others.

This came as the Military Special Task Force (STF) in charge of security in Plateau State codenamed: Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) paraded three suspects in connection with the multiple attacks on villages in Barkin Ladi Local Government. Fourteen others were paraded for protesting the killings. Also yesterday, Governor Simon Lalong said his administration would not tolerate land grabbing in any part of the state. In the attack, over 50 houses and several vehicles were burnt in 11 villages of Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local Government Areas of Plateau.

The villages are Xland, Gashish, Ruku, Nghar, Kura Falls and Kakuruk all in Gashish District. Others include Rakok, Kok and Razat villages in Ropp District. However, what started as a peaceful protest yesterday in Jos later turned violent as protesters threw stones and damaged some cars parked in one of the parking lots at the new Government House as well some office complexes in Jos.

Among the damaged cars are those belonging to two journalists, Peter Amine of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and Douglas Francis of Core TV. The protesters from different women and youth groups from the state converged on the Old Airport junction and marched to the Government House, but were initially prevented from gaining access into the premises. However, some of the protesters climbed the fence to gain access, forcing security at the gate to eventually open it. They expressed displeasure at not being received by any government official.

Some of the government officials on the premises had rushed out and the Director, Peace Building Agency, Mr. Joseph Lengmang, detailed to address the protesters, fled. The situation turned violent when some of the protesters ran after the fleeing government officials, trying to stop them from leaving the premises.

As they failed to stop the fleeing officials, they turned violent, throwing stones which hit cars and offices including the structure housing the Secretary to the State Government, the Chief of Staff to the governor, and permanent secretary, Government House and other top officials. The defiant protesters defied all entreaties and even when security personnel started shooting in the air to scare them, they stood their ground, demanding to see the governor to register their displeasure over the killings as well as his stance on the ranching policy.

At the time of the protest, Lalong was visiting about 50 victims of the attacks currently receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). The STF had informed the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, during his visit to Jos on Monday after the attacks that it had made some arrests. The suspects were paraded yesterday at the OPSH headquarters, Jos, by the Media Officer of the command, Major Adam Umar.

He said: “These suspects we are parading here are suspects arrested in connection to the last Saturday attack in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State on the 23rd of June, 2018. The suspects are in two categories; three of the suspects Yahuza, Friday and Ahmed were in connection to the attack in Barkin Ladi, and the other 14 suspects are those arrested from the scene of protest and blockage of federal highways to protest the attack in Barkin Ladi. “It was in the course of repelling the attackers by our men that these three suspects were arrested.

When they saw our men coming after them, they threw away their guns and ran into the bush. But our men went after them and threatened to shoot them if they did not surrender, that was how the three of them were arrested.

“And you know there were civil disturbances that followed on 24th of June 2018 around Maraba Jamaa, Angludi and Bukuru axis, our men also stormed there to clear the roadblocks mounted by the protesters and these suspects participating in the civil disturbances were also arrested.” Asked whether the three suspected gunmen have confessed to the crime, Umar said: “No, we have not got to that level; the investigation is still on.

This is a security matter; they are already giving us useful information that may lead us to arrest more suspects linked to the attacks.” Asked whether the suspected gunmen are Nigerians or foreigners, Umar said the three were Nigerians. He said: “They are not foreigners.

The arms we arrested them with are also locally made guns including one AK 47 rifle. These suspects are not the only ones involved in the attacks; we are on the trail of others.” Lalong, who spoke when former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Senate President Bukola Saraki visited the state to commiserate with the people over the unfortunate killings of villagers by suspected Fulani herdsmen, said those fighting, killing people and destroying their settlements with the intention of taking ownership of such places would not be allowed to do so.

He said: “If you think you can chase people out and grab their land, we as a government would not allow you to own the land.”

The governor disclosed that his administration was working out modalities for prosecuting land grabbers to discourage the act. According to him, if there is no peace in Plateau State, there will be no peace in Nigeria. Obasanjo described the killings as very bad and challenge the Federal Government to find out the root cause of the killings in the state and immediately resolve it. He said: “I appeal to the Federal Government to find solution to the killings to create peaceful environment. I believe that every human problem must have a human solution.

“On behalf of myself, I came to commiserate with the good people of Plateau State over this sad and unfortunate act.”

The Senate President, Saraki, also commiserated with the governor and the people. Saraki conveyed the condolences of members of the National Assembly to the people, promising that they would be there for the state in whatever way the state would need the legislature’s assistance. Saraki tasked security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous act and urged the governor to “be fair and just” in dealing with the situation. Responding, Lalong said the nation’s security architecture needed restructuring for it to be more proactive.

“I agreed with you that we need a new security architecture because if we allow people to be killed before we look for the reasons that they were killed, it is unfortunate. “It is better that they must be proactive, know what is coming and take action before it happens.”

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared seven-day mourning for those killed in Plateau State and other parts of the country

The party, in a statement issued yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Oloogbondiyan, also directed that its flags at all its offices and formations at all levels across the country should be flown at half-mast during the period in honour of the victims.

The PDP, however, called on the people of Plateau State to exercise their rights as global citizens, work with other public-spirited Nigerians and groups and take President Muhammadu Buhari and his government to the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague for acting helpless in the face of continuous mass killings in the country. (New Telegraph)