The governor of Plateau State, Mr. Jonah Jang, said yesterday that God revealed to him that the fratricidal crisis in the state was ‘‘because of their sins.’’
The governor said this when he led other security chiefs to visit Riyom and Barkin Ladi LGAs of the state that have been the theatre of conflicts between the indigenes and Fulani herdsmen and to condole with the people over the recent death of two lawmakers, Senator Dantong Gyang and Hon. Gyang Fulani,
Governor Jang told them that he had received a revelation from God that what has befallen the state was ‘‘the wrath of God over their sins.’’
The governor told them that if they repent from their sin, God will forgive them and restore peace in the state.
The governor remarked that the children of Israel suffered the same fate as was recorded in the Holy Bible when they sinned against God. He said that God restored the children of Israel to their rightful place when they repented of their sins and returned to God.
Governor Jang therefore charged the youths of the affected LGAs to desist from drinking alcohol and form vigilante groups for the security of lives and property.
Jang said: ‘‘I want to call on the youths to stop engaging in drinking alcohol. You should form vigilante groups to climb the rocks and hills to protect women and children in the area from being attacked.’’
Meanwhile, the? chairman of Riyom LGA, Hon. Sam Gyang Audu,? has alleged that Fulani herdsmen have continued to terrorise them as well as graze freely on their farmlands heavily armed, even in the presence of the security personnel without being arrested.
He said this development has created? fear in the minds of the people of the area, adding that nobody goes to farm for fear of his or her life while the Fulanis allegedly destroy crops in the farm.
According to him, this development will? adversely affect the harvest of this season if government fail to intensify efforts at guaranteeing the security of the farmers in the area.
“Our people no longer go to farm because the Fulanis are grazing on their farms with guns, yet security operatives are watching them and could not make any arrest. Some of them have taken over Berom farms and houses,” he said.
In his reaction, the Special Task Force, STF, commander, Maj. Gen. Henry, described the allegation as false, stressing that in the wake of the death of the two lawmakers, the military task force relocated their base to the troubled area and have mopped the area with a view to flushing out criminal elements.
He further stressed that the action will continue until the military is sure that there are no criminal elements in the area.