A concerned citizen of Plateau state, Khuraira Musa, has condemned the recent killing of Fulani travelers in Jos, the state capital.
In a statement sent to DAILY NIGERIAN on Tuesday, Mrs Musa who hails from Rukuba/Bassa area of the state, lamented the killings, describing it as unfortunate.
According to her, this type of violence has been recurring for ages without any meaningful commitment towards addressing it by the state and federal government.
Mrs Musa noted that the start of the crisis years ago didn’t stem from religion alone, rather it arose from lack of communication from all parties involved.
She said: “We need to stop this violence. This needs to stop and every party needs to be addressed.
“Our people were massacred at Barkin Ladi but the government didn’t address it, it was just swept under the carpet.
“We have been in Rukuba-Bassa for one hundred years and this is not the way to go. The best way to move forward is to empower people. When you do that, peace shall reign.
“Hausa, Fulani and native of Rukuba used to be in peace. I believe it’s the negligence of the authorities and people with special interest, especially when one group is being taken advantage of. So, definitely, there will be crises.”
Mrs Musa added that these communities have a lot of grievances but were not properly handled by the relevant authorities.
“They would rustle the cattle and rape women, and when the authorities were alerted, no action would take place.
“The government also has not done anything reasonable to aid farmers that have been affected,” she lamented.
According to her, the youths are being used to retaliate the violence for a “pittance”.
“I honestly feel both herders and farmers are victims of the system,” Mrs Musa stressed.
She appealed to the citizens to join hands to ease the tension and this, she said, would initiate the start of a new chapter in Plateau State.
Mrs Musa, therefore, called on relevant stakeholders to “do the needful” by protecting the lives and properties of citizens, regardless of their origins or social values.
“No progress can be made without peace and the people to be affected the most will be the Youth. Please think and use your energy to peacefully bring your concerns to the proper authorities via civilized dialogue to be discussed.
“This is how problems are addressed and progress is achieved. May God almighty continue to protect our communities, State and Nigeria as a whole,” she concluded.
