NBA Flays Killings in Plateau, Calls for Arrest, Prosecution of Perpetrators

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Plateau State on Tuesday condemned the recent spate of killings in Bokkos and Bassa Local Government Areas of the state, urging government and security personnel to immediately arrest and prosecute perpetrators.

Addressing a press conference in Jos on behalf of the four NBA branches on the Plateau, the Chairman NBA Jos branch, Ms. Leah Hasaan, said the continued bloodletting in the state must no longer be treated with indifference or vague promises.

She said that the slogan should no longer be ‘Enough is Enough’ but ‘This is Enough, let’s stand up and take actions’.

Hasaan said: “The four branches of the NBA commend the actions taken so far by the state government and further call on the state government and Federal Government to take comprehensive and proactive steps to forestall further occurrences of this genocidal attacks on the people of Plateau State.

“This is not a communal clash as stated by some individuals in the society but an intentional attack to wipe out helpless citizens sleeping in their houses in the night by wicked men who have no regard for human lives.

“We cannot continue to be silent in the face of this barbaric and evil act of killing innocent citizens and taking over their ancestral lands and making them strangers in their own home.”

Calling for immediate identification, arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the killings, Hasaan said: “We say that all perpetrators who were arrested be prosecuted in the state and not to be taken to Abuja, where we do not hear anything about them again, indicating that they have been released.”

The NBA also called on the Federal Government to deploy adequate security personnel to vulnerable communities with clear mandates for community protection. 

“States should be allowed to establish state police who will be armed with weapons to defend our communities. Communities should be allowed to defend themselves; we therefore demand that the Federal Government empower vulnerable communities with self-defence mechanisms and equipment since the security personnel we have are not enough to secure our lives,” she said.

The association also called for provision of relief materials, as well as rehabilitation for affected persons particularly women and children, as well as settlement of displaced communities within the shortest time possible.

Hasaan was joined at the press conference by the NBA Chairman, Pankshin Branch, Mr. W T Awe; NBA Chairman, Bukuru, Mr. S T Ahile; NBA Chairman, Shendam, Mr. David Dashak.