DEFEND YOURSELVES AGAINST PRO-FULANI MILITIA KILLING SPREE IN PLATEAU AND BENUE - SMBLF

Nigerian leaders from the Middle Belt and the Southern parts of the country have challenged citizens to defend themselves against what they called planned, coordinated and unrelenting genocidal massacre in Plateau and Benue states. In a statement entitled "The Days of Lamentation Are Over: Nigerians, Arise, Defend Your Lives and Territories" said the killings by suspected Fulani militias in various communities across Nigeria, particularly Plateau and Benue states, has pushed all patriotic and well-meaning Nigerians beyond the threshold of mourning for decisive action by people of different nationalities and groups. Leaders of the Southern and Middle-Belt Forun (SMBLF) made reference to the latest "cold-blooded murder of not less than 50 innocent citizens of Irigwe ethnicity in Zike and Kakpa villages in Kwall District, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State last Sunday following similar killings of over 80 innocent lives in Bokkos Local Government Area few days earlier." The group noted that "These terrorist killings wiping out entire families and villages hypocritically branded “farmers/herders clash” on the farmers’ land have become such commonplace that officials of the Nigerian state on each occurrence only indulge in comparative statistical analysis of the number of lives lost." The SMBLF notes that only a day after the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for security agencies to pursue the perpetrators of the Bokkos killings and in an astonishing display of impudence, a group calling itself the “Coalition of Registered Fulani Organizations in Plateau State” led by one Garba Abdullahi held a press conference in Kaduna wherein they issued conditions for peace. "Amongst their demands was the removal of certain military commanders from Plateau State. Just days after these threats, as the condition was not met and knowing that the Presidential order was of no moment, the Bassa massacre occurred just as terror with sorrow tears and blood were unleashed on parts of Benue state by the same Fulani militias. "While we may acknowledge that many Nigerians of Fulani origin may not support these heinous crimes perpetuated by their kinsmen from all over the West African sub-region, the continued silence of their prominent leaders is suggestive of complicity in a clear Fulanisation agenda of Nigeria." It stated. The group noted that it may appear that the Nigerian state had surrendered its sovereignty and territory to the wanton violation by an ethnic nationality which members are acclaimed to have no respect for the territorial boundary and integrity of modern nation states. The SMBLF further noted that even the salutary Amotekun Security Initiative by the South West States is being deliberately rendered impotent by a timid and complicit Nigerian state which continues to deny the outfit necessary capacity to confront terrorism. It declared that in the face of the failure of the Nigerian state to protect its citizens, all acts and weapons in self defence are lawful and legitimate. adding that "Together, we will resist. Together, we will defend. Together, we will survive. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!" The statement was jointly signed by Afenifere representative, HRM Oba Oladipo Olaitan; dr Bitrus Pogu of the Middle Belt Forum; the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, and Godknows Igali of the Pan-Niger Delta Development Forum (PANDEF).