The unending situation of mass killings in Plateau State has got out of hand. Since 2001, we have never known peace. None of the sections of the ruling class who have governed the state have provided any lasting solution.
Each time these attacks and killings occur, the government responds in the same predictable way: imposing curfews, condemning the violence, and sometimes paying condolence visits. After that, silence follows, and nothing meaningful changes.
President Bola Tinubu is further rubbing salt into our open wound. We thought he was coming to express concern over the recent killings that have turned Plateau State into a place of fear and pain and tell us of concrete steps he would take to stop the spate of bloodletting.
But when he arrived, he just stayed at the airport, surrounded only by some people that he and the state government officials had chosen. He talked, made the same tired and fake promises, and left just like that.
Over the years, the state government always holds meetings with religious and traditional leaders at the Government House after each spate of killings in the state. But many of these leaders contribute to the unending crisis by preaching messages that fuel hatred in their places of worship.
Social media have also become sites for spreading hate. This situation is disturbing as many young people are mobilised with this to take sectarian action. Countless posts and comments, shared via screenshots, drove a wedge between working-class people and youths, exploiting religious or ethnic differences.
Bandit-driven violence now dominates the crisis. The poor masses understand the Nigerian state offers no defence. We must unite and confront these marauding killers collectively. No section of the rich ruling elite will stand up for us as working-class people, even where we are of the same ethnic extraction. Their lives are important to them. Our lives are not.
A simple example of this was the incident at Jos Anguwa Rukuba in Jos, right after the Palm Sunday killings took place. Governor Caleb Mutfwang visited the affected area and addressed the people from the safety of an armoured truck. If the governor could not feel safe without such armed protection, what hope do the common woman and man have, who do not have such protection?
One important truth we must all understand is that it is poor working people who are being killed, both in the villages and now in the cities. The rich and powerful are not the ones being killed. For over 25 years, it has been the poor who continue to suffer and die in these brutal circumstances.
Meanwhile, some wealthy politicians and rich people benefit from the division, encouraging people to fight along religious and ethnic lines while they grow richer and the masses become poorer.
The idea of “unknown gunmen” that are said to have carried out the Palm Sunday killing is also unacceptable. How can attackers keep carrying out coordinated operations across different parts of the country and still be described as being unknown? The government must identify and bring the perpetrators to justice, as these attacks are clearly organised. Condemnations alone are no longer enough.
We do not want more press releases or empty statements. What the people want is visible, decisive action. The victims deserve justice. Those responsible must be arrested and prosecuted without any bias or religious sentiment. And we, the people, must now start taking concrete action to defend ourselves. Enough is enough!
by Adam Khalid MUHAMMAD (Mr. Kakaki)
