By Pwanagba Agabus, Jos
Following the recent security challenges that bedeviled Dong and Tudun Wada communities in Jos North LGA of Plateau State, a group under the aegis of Concerned Youths of Tudun Wada and Dong Communities has called on the State Government to ban open grazing around the entire Jos Wildlife Park restricted area.
The two communities who borders the park, equally demand an explanation from the management of the park, on why it allowed Fulani herdsmen to “graze and live in the Park’s restricted forest.
This was stated by Spokesman of the group, Mr. Yohanna Nyam Izang, when they paid a condolence visit on the affected families of the recent attacks in Dong community, in Jos North LGA of the State.
Izang said, “It is with heavy heart that we address you today in respect to our fellow brothers and sisters whom have fallen victim to Fulani militia attack which was orchestrated and carried out on the late hours, 23th of May 2021.
According to him, “The attack as we know was contained in a letter send to Dong and Tudun Wada Communities by unknown persons believed to be Fulani.
“Evidently is the fact that they have physically issued verbal threat to both communities when they came accompanied by some military personnel in arms, alleging that they are searching for one of their herd boy whom has gone missing.
“We then asked; are we now free to take the laws in our hands because we have political power and the military at our disposal?
“Does that mean that the Police have outlived their usefulness and their constitutional responsibility to investigate crime? He asked.
“What also baffles us was that, security agencies were immediately alerted at the instance the threat letter was received, a follow up was made by notifying the security agencies that Fulani had come in their numbers accompanied by military personnel to the said communities and issued verbal threat before the military personnel without any form of apprehension: two days after, an attack as contained in the threat letter was carried out, leaving over seven persons dead including babies”, he decried.
“To further elaborate, we see the pattern of the attack as selection and a means of dividing the people in their God’s given land; today, we say enough is enough”, he maintained.
“We want to sent a strong message to the perpetrators of this barbaric, heinous and inhumane act and their accomplices wherever they are; that what they have done had made these same people much stronger and united than they used to and so, in no distant time, they will fall under the wrath of God for the blood of those innocent victims especially those little babies will call to God for justice”.
Speaking on the open grazing around Jos Wildlife Park, Izang said, “We are calling on the Plateau State Government to cordon and sweep the entire Jos Wildlife Park restricted forest and make sure no human other than animal should be allowed to live in the restricted forest reserve.
According him, “Over time, Fulani have been grazing in the park’s forest and have made the forest their aboard.
“We are equally demanding an explanation from the management of Jos Wildlife Park as to why they allowed Fulani graze and live in the Park’s restricted forest reserve despite complaints from both communities bordering the Park; we suspect a foul play”, he maintained.
“However, we as Concerned Youths of Tudun Wada and Dong Communities respectively are giving the Plateau State Government and all the security agencies one week ultimatum to provide and bring to justice the Fulani militias that issued a threat via a letter send to Dong and Tudun Wada communities which we believe are the same Fulani that attacked Dong residents leaving so many people dead and others injured.
“Realising that the Fulani that issued the threat fetter are living and grazing in the restricted forest of the Jos Wildlife Park, we are again giving the Plateau State Government and all the security agencies one week to sweep the entire forest to make sure no human lives there or the communities as part of securing their boundaries and residence will take that responsibility where the government and the security agencies fail to”, the group warned.
“We have fallen victim to the attacks of these Fulani militias because we are patriots and naturally hospitable which is now taken for weakness and fear; and by that, we have been pushed to the wall and indirectly told to defend ourselves and to guard our God’s given land by any means necessary”, they stressed.
