Former Governor of Plateau State, Senator Dr. Joshua Chibi Dariye, has strongly condemned the recent attack in Zike and Kimakpa communities in Kwall District of Bassa Local Government Area, describing the assault as “unwarranted, barbaric and inhumane.”
In a statement issued on Monday, Senator Dariye decried the recurring violence, lamenting that the Zike massacre came just two weeks after over 60 lives were lost in coordinated attacks across six communities in Bokkos LGA. He emphasized the need for security agencies to intensify efforts against what he described as “rampaging terrorists.”
“It’s high time government wore its thinking cap to come out with proactive measures to contain these terrorists whose intent is to grab the land at all costs,” Dariye stated.
Highlighting the devastating impact on local livelihoods, Dariye pointed to the timing of the attacks with the onset of the farming season, which he believes is aimed at driving people away from their land.
“The major reason for these senseless killings of our armless and defenceless people, coming at this point in time when the rains are here, is to instill fear in the people by scaring them away from their farms thereby preventing them from practising their predominant occupation,” he said.
Calling for immediate action, Senator Dariye urged the Plateau State Government to empower non-conventional security agencies such as Operation Rainbow to help secure rural communities. He also stressed the importance of technology in tackling insecurity, recommending the deployment of drones to track down attackers.
Furthermore, he appealed for the deployment of mobile police units to vulnerable areas, criticizing the delayed response times of security operatives. “The military mostly arrived scenes of attacks after the damage had been done to evacuate corpses and the injured without the desired results,” he noted.
The former governor extended his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured. He commended the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for their swift deployment of forces to the region but urged that all arrested suspects be prosecuted to deter future attacks.
“Not doing so in the past had emboldened the terrorists to continue launching more devastating attacks on innocent citizens,” he warned.
Senator Dariye called on well-meaning individuals and organizations to support the affected communities as they navigate the aftermath of yet another brutal tragedy.