From Tom Garba, Yola
The Njiya-Goron Community of Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa state has warn that in case government and all the relevant security agencies fail to protect residents against the heinous attacks always meted on them by some suspected Fulani herdsmen, they would not have any other option than to take drastic measures to protect themselves against the attackers.
They accused the Adamawa State Government, the Adamawa Emirate Council, Girei Local Government Council and Girei District Council of not taking any action to stop further attacks on them despite identifying the arrowheads of the attack and the herdsmen who allegedly participated fully in the heinous crime.
Speaking with the media in Yola, Adamawa State, a community leader, Manassah K. Nayangom, also revealed that property worth over N2 Billion were either looted or destroyed by the Fulani marauders.
“In view of the stated facts, we condemn the lukewarm attitude, belated reaction, and the unholy silence of the state and federal governments over the massacre of our people. We equally condemn the sentimental and pathological discrimination against our people,” Nayangom said.
Njiya-Goron community comprises of 13 villages and one among 10 political wards in Girei Council. Residents, who are mostly farmers, have also dragged the Federal Government, the Police and the Military before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over the attacks.
According to Nayangom, “the grave yard silence and the discrimination meted in our devastated community in which we were left to bear the brunt of armed attacks where the Fulani herdsmen plotted and prepare under the watchful eyes of the state and federal governments without taking any decisive action to foil it. The attacks had left 65 members of the community dead. There was wanton destruction and looting of our properties worth billions of naira by the marauders. This left us with no alternative than to run to the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) in order to enforce our fundamental human rights, as we hold strong to the belief that the right to life is a universal gift of God that no race or tribe no matter how strong can lay higher claim to as being insinuated by the Fulani herdsmen “.
Nayangom, who gave copies of the community’s petition to the media, said the security services and the authorities in the state failed to stop attacks that left 65 people dead in January.
Fulani cattle men and the Njiya-Goron communities have had several minor clashes before the escalation of the crisis with the Fulani accusing the natives of cow rustling and killing of herdsmen while the communities decry unprovoked mayhem and destruction by the cattlemen.
Nayangom decried the continued threat to peace in the six affected villages, forcing more people to flee the area.
He alleged a plot to eliminate his kinsmen of Bwatiye ethnic group with the tacit approval of government, traditional authorities as well as security agencies who disregarded all effort by the community to avert the January mayhem.
Leave a Reply