Leaders from various socio-political organisations in the southern and middle-belt regions of Nigeria have reiterated the call for the establishment of state police.
Naijaonpoint reports that they highlighted the need for more localised security structures to combat the rising wave of killings in the country, particularly in Plateau and Benue states.
The call came under the umbrella of the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), following the recent spate of violence that has left communities devastated.
The forum also urged Nigerians to take the defense of their communities into their own hands in light of the ongoing terrorism and security lapses.
The statement, jointly issued on Friday by prominent leaders of the group, including Oba Oladipo Olaitan (Afenifere), Dr. Bitrus Pogu (Middle Belt Forum), Senator John Azuta-Mbata (Ohanaeze Ndigbo World-Wide), and Ambassador Godknows Igali (PANDEF), condemned the coordinated massacres allegedly carried out by suspected Fulani militias in Plateau and Benue states.
“The planned, coordinated and unrelenting genocidal massacre by suspected Fulani militias in various communities across Nigeria, particularly Plateau and Benue states, have pushed all patriotic and well-meaning Nigerians beyond the threshold of mourning for decisive action by people of different nationalities and groups,” the statement read.
The leaders specifically referenced the tragic killings of at least 50 people from the Irigwe ethnic group in Plateau’s Zike and Kakpa villages, which followed similar attacks that killed more than 80 individuals in Bokkos Local Government Area a few days earlier.
The statement pointed out that these attacks leave affected communities with no choice but to resort to self-defence.
“The only crime of our people is being Nigerians on their ancestral land and its rich resources, where they live peacefully,” the leaders stated, decrying the lack of resistance from security forces in the face of these violent land grabs.
The SMBLF criticised the federal government for allegedly condoning the actions of the attackers, calling them “modern-day territorial conquests,” while the victims are forced into Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, unable to return to their homes.
The group also expressed frustration over the federal government’s consistent rejection of proposals to restructure the country, implement true federalism, and establish state police.
These reforms, the leaders argue, would help address the ongoing insecurity and provide a more effective structure for protecting lives and property.
“It is undeniable that the Nigerian state has surrendered its sovereignty and territory to the wanton violation by an ethnic nationality which members are acclaimed to have no respect for the territorial boundary and integrity of modern nation-states,” the statement read, emphasising the dire situation in which Nigerians find themselves.
The leaders also criticised the overstretched Nigerian security forces, noting that the country’s military and police are engaged in multiple fronts across the country, further limiting their ability to protect civilians in vulnerable regions.
The SMBLF leaders concluded their statement by reiterating the urgent need for the federal government to listen to the voices of well-meaning Nigerians and act decisively to end the crisis.
“All proposals and resolutions by well-meaning Nigerians which have even enjoyed national consensus for security of lives and property, including an end to open grazing, establishment of state police, restructuring and true federalism have been rejected by the Federal Government,” they stated.