Where is the premium on lives of fellow citizens?

They have started killing again. This time, gruesome killings are going on in Plateau State- “the home of peace and tourism”. Jos, the capital of Plateau State, a city in the middle belt of Nigeria is in the news again for the wrong reasons. The city is held on its jugular by a gang of killers. You may call these killers by any name ranging from herdsmen to armed bandits. But the most unfortunate thing is that these infamous assassins have constituted themselves into slayers, wrecking havoc on innocent citizens, killing them in their tens and hundreds depending on how favorable the situation on land is. Innocent citizens irrespective of religion have been victims of a dysfunctional state. A state where men are pleased at the detriment of humanity. If there are no Nigerians there cannot be a country called Nigeria. Every morning, Nigerians who are privileged and can afford to buy a copy or copies of newspapers will be greeted by gory headlines such as:

“Plateau Killings: How we lost 300 persons in four months- Berom Community,” (Daily Post,  13September 2018); “Plateau: Again herdsmen kill four, burns 35 houses,” (Punch Newspapers, 5 October 2018); “Plateau Killings: Military arrests 72 suspects, COAS blames elites, elders” ( Punch Newspapers, 4 October 2018).

With these headlines, any observer with keen interest in socio-political events in the country gets to know that some citizens are being killed in Plateau State. Helpless citizens are not given the opportunity to make a positive difference to their community. Those who manage to escape the tyranny of men, become refugees in their own country. Young children with their parents want to be good citizens but they are denied the right to do so. A pity, you may say. What you hear and read daily on print and electronic media is the trading of words and blames from those in the government to elites and elders in the State. Yet, suspects are arrested but no trial by courts of law in most cases. This writer is not aware of any court judgement on those tried for arbitrarily taking the lives of their fellow citizens in Jos. After all, the scripture condemns the killing of  individuals.

Majority of the people residing in Jos are Christians with Muslims in the minority. So who are these enemies that are killing and maiming citizens in the “Home of Peace and Tourism”? “Thou shall not Kill” is a moral imperative included as one of the Ten Commandments in the Torah. It is the same with the Quran. Both religions prohibit murder. The objective of this piece is not to give an analysis of the theology of war as reflected in the Holy Books but to state that murder is forbidden by all Holy Books. Even the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria prohibits murder because it’s a capital offense punishable by death.

There is so much to say about the unending crisis in Plateau State. What explanation do we have to the mysterious disappearance of a retired two-star General, Idris Alkali, who served his country meritoriously for over 35 years? One can see crime against humanity. The killings in Plateau State can best be described as genocide. After several days of search, the General’s car was found in a mining pond at Dura, Du District of Jos South Local Government Area. The recovery of the car was met with resistance by the local women who claimed that draining the pond has “huge cultural significance” to the community. The women staged a protest and declared that  “if the water is evacuated, it could lead to the death of our sons and husbands.”Despite the protests, the military personnel went ahead to drain the pond and this led to several discoveries. Apart from Alkali’s vehicle, the Army found an 18-seater Toyota Hiace Bus belonging to Gombe Line Transport Company and three other cars.

Although, at the time of writing this article, the body of the General has not been found. The Army has however, stated its readiness to continue its search for further discovery and to recover the body of one of their own. Now, the whole situation in the Plateau killings has compelled conspiracy theorists to say that there is a dearth of humanity in Nigeria and Jos in particular. These theorists are of the view that for humans to have decided to drown their fellow human beings in a mining pond shows nothing but sheer wickedness. Additionally, these theorists are convinced that evil thrives among men living in Jos and its environs and that there is no premium on the lives of fellow citizens in the country.

There are those who believe that the Task Force set up to ensure that there is peace in Plateau State has become complicit in some of the lawlessness ongoing in the State. For this group of people, the Task Force is no more regarded as a neutral and unbiased body. The level of suspicion against members of the Task Force is high, they say. When citizens suspect that soldiers deployed to protect them collude with armed bandits, one may ask questions about civil-military relations in Plateau State.

The security situation in Plateau State is very complex. For several years, military strategy has not brought about the desired peace in the state. The political will of those in the government and community leaders is a critical factor that must be taken into consideration in solving the problem of insecurity in Jos. If structures on the ground are not working, the government must change strategy for a better result. Success in any endeavor is directly proportional to the capability of the nation. The constant of proportionality being the political will of those in the government. When there is no political will, there is no amount of resources- human and material that can bring about the desired peace in Jos and other parts of the country. The State and federal governments know what to do. Those in the government swore an oath to protect lives and properties of citizens. So, they must be bold to take appropriate actions that can bring lasting peace to the North Central region and other parts of the country.

MA Johnson