Community leaders in Plateau State under the aegis of the Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives, and Community Peace Observers in Bokkos LGA, on Monday, appealed to the Federal Government to deploy more troops to the troubled Local Government Areas in the state to enhance security
The appeal followed the attacks by gunmen in some of the communities on Christmas Eve which left over 150 persons dead and properties worth millions of naira destroyed.
The attacks also displaced over 10,000 persons who are currently taking refuge in different locations.
The community leaders made the appeal in separate interviews with The PUNCH in Jos on Monday.
The Secretary General of Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives, Nanle Gujor, said the call was imperative not only to forestall a reoccurrence of the ugly incident but to provide adequate cover to enable the displaced persons to return to their ancestral homes.
Gutor said, “At the moment, we are in a very difficult situation. We are not satisfied at all with the situation of things. The security deployed to the communities so far is grossly inadequate. We have been saying that the government knows the strength of these attacks but they just send a very mild number of security agents which will not be able to contain the situation.
“It’s very sad because as far as we are concerned, we have not seen anything to believe that government is serious about addressing the security challenge in the state especially those of us that deal directly with the communities because we coordinate all the community activities in the state. Unless they are playing a game with what they claim to be doing, if not, they should know that security, as we have it now, is not enough. More troops should be deployed.”
The Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos LGA, Kefas Mallai, also urged the government to deploy more security to the LGAs saying that many residents heard the promises by the security chiefs but were yet to see its fulfilment.
“The people, especially the displaced persons are still stuck where they are and can’t go to the communities where they were attacked. Even here in Bokkos town, you see very few security personnel and when they pass by, it will take more than one hour or thereabout before you will see another set. That is to tell you that there are not many. So, the government should listen to the cry of the people and solve this problem once and for all,” Mallai said
The Plateau State Government has also called for the deployment of more security operatives in the state.
The state Commissioner for Information, Musa Ashoms, said, “We have been calling for more deployment of troops and other security agents to the state and we will continue to call for it until the issue is addressed. As a government, we will not rest until the security challenges confronting us in Plateau becomes a thing of the past.”
