The ongoing Plateau killings have taken a bloody turn, with more than 100 residents brutally murdered by armed assailants in just two weeks. The attacks, which ravaged communities in Bokkos and Bassa local government areas of Plateau State, have drawn widespread condemnation and calls for decisive federal action.

Cleric Isa El-buba, speaking on Channels Television’s Inside Sources, demanded that President Bola Tinubu declare a state of emergency on security in Plateau State, asserting that the attackers have effectively declared war on Nigerian citizens.

“This is genocide” – Cleric backs Governor Mutfwang’s stance

The tragic events in Plateau mirror the devastating Christmas Eve massacre of 2023, where over 150 lives were lost in Bokkos. According to El-buba, the pattern of violence, displacement, and occupation by the assailants shows deliberate intent.

“Just like the governor said, it’s genocide… Plateau is a cosmopolitan city. If anything goes wrong in Plateau, everything goes wrong in Nigeria,” he said.

He recalled the Dogo Nahawa massacre, where over 500 people were killed, emphasizing that the violence has persisted for years, with communities still struggling to reclaim occupied lands.

“These are terrorists, not herders”

El-buba did not mince words in identifying the attackers.

“80% of the terrorists displacing people from their communities disguised as herders… and the language they speak is Fulani,” he claimed, adding that the same pattern is being replicated in Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, and Zamfara states.

He also criticized the perceived silence of past administrations and urged the current leadership to confront the reality without political or ethnic sentiments.

“Don’t negotiate with terrorists” – El-buba

Calling for urgent military intervention, the cleric stressed that local communities must be empowered to defend their land.

“If we’re going to deal with the killings, then the community must be allowed, backed up by the government. It wouldn’t take us one week to deal with these people,” he insisted.

He criticized what he sees as the federal government’s slow response, urging the President to personally visit Plateau and take decisive steps to secure the affected areas.

“Declare a state of emergency on security” – El-buba tells Tinubu

While President Bola Tinubu has stated that he has advised the governor on the way forward, El-buba believes the situation requires stronger action.

“The President is the commander-in-chief… I expected that the President would come down here… and instruct that these communities should be taken over in 24 hours,” he said.

El-buba cited the federal government’s swift response in Rivers State, urging similar urgency in Plateau.

“If he declared a state of emergency in Rivers without a soul being killed, why not declare one in Plateau where over 100 lives have been lost in one month?”

The Way Forward

The cleric concluded by urging the Nigerian government to treat the Plateau killings as an act of terrorism. He warned that without strong action, the nation risks further instability and loss of innocent lives.

“Terrorists don’t repent. They surrender when they’ve been overpowered… Clear them, or else you’ll keep wasting resources.”