A
report by Vanguard claims that over 54 communities in Plateau state have been
taken over by herdsmen after recent attacks in the state on farming
communities. According to the report, the attacks have seen native communities
in Plateau state taken over by invading herders and even renaming them. The
natives, mostly Berom by tribe have reportedly watched helplessly as their
homes were occupied, people killed and farmlands taken over and in some cases,
the original names of the villages changed.
The
report noted that prominent leaders of the Berom tribe and socio-cultural
groups before now had consistently appealed to the Federal Government to tackle
land occupation by foreign herders but their entreaties were ignored. The
report informed that the occupied communities include “Rotchun (aka Rafin
Acha), Dankum (renamed “Mahanga”), Hywa (renamed “Lugere”), Fass (renamed
“Tafawa”), Davwak, Chwelnyap, Lyoho Dakar, and Angwan Dalyop which were all
attacked between September 7 and 10, 2001 with the original inhabitants
displaced. Others are, Janda, attacked on February 8, 2010; Darin, attacked on
April 28, 2013;, Shong I, Shong II; Rakweng; Dashugu; Diyan-Hei; Maseh (renamed
“Lugel”) all attacked on June 29, 2012. Also occupied by the invaders are
Kampwas; Kasa; Zere; Ninja-Hei; Seh; Nicha; Pwabeduk; Hyai; Kufang; Sharu;
Dogo; Ningon; Rantis and Angio which were reportedly all sacked and occupied on
the July 7, 2012. Kachin community was also sacked on the November 7, 2012.
On
December 26, 2014, Shonong community was reportedly invaded and sacked, even as
the surviving inhabitants had not returned since. So also were Rahol and
Chikogo communities. Ranchol was attacked and occupied on October 7, 2013.
Nangam was overran on the April 30, 2014, as well as Kak and Dajak. Rarin was
invaded on August 30, 2015; Kujei on February 2, 2015; Attakar attacked on
March 14, 2014, as well as Nantwa and some parts of Bisichi. Rahol-Mazat was
attacked and occupied on April 14, 2015; Kai and Luk-Fei on the February 19,
2014; Mallel, Bel between March 8 & 9, 2015. Rahei took place on the 3rd of
April, 2015; Zim, Jong, Rabuk, Lobiring and Gwara Dadep on of June 9, 2015. It
further revealed that no Internally Displaced Persons’ Camp was provided for
the displaced persons as most of the sacked residents were accommodated by relatives
while they found a way of integrating themselves into safer communities where
they ran to. Reacting to the situation, a youth group, APC Youths Online Forum
has appealed to relevant stakeholders to work with Governor Simon Lalong to
“reclaim the villages and lands occupied by the herdsmen and hand them over to
the natives of the communities.”
On
his part, the state governor, Simon Lalong lamented the spate of killings and
displacement of settlements saying that his administration would not tolerate
land grabbing in any part of the state. His words: “Those fighting, killing
people and destroying their settlements with the intention of taking ownership
of such places would not be allowed to do so. If you think you can chase people
out and grab their land, we as a government would not allow you to own the
land. My administration is working out modalities for prosecuting land grabbers
to discourage the act.”
Meanwhile,
a former Archbishop of the Catholic Church in Lagos, Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi
Okogie, has accused President Buhari of shielding killer herdsmen and treating
them with kids gloves.
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