INSECURITY: Plateau Has Let Down Middle Belt Through Lalong’s Utterances – Kaze

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

The alarming rate of insecurity in Nigeria needs to be tackled not from the point of weakness on the part of government and security agencies but decisive actions against criminal elements causing havoc in the country.

 Former Member representing Jos South/Jos East constituency in the 6th and 7th National Assembly, Bitrus Kaze made the assertion at the weekend in Jos while speaking on sundry issues affecting Plateau State and the country at large.

Kaze faulted the manner criminal elements are being pampered by the federal government as well as the manner Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong is letting down the Middle Belt region through unguarded statements on issues affecting the region.

 He also chided the role being played by Sheik Ahmad Gumi which he said seeks to justify banditry and criminality stressing the cleric should be investigated just like Dr. Obadiah Mailafia was by the Department of State Security Service.

His words, “I do not subscribe to negotiation, I do not know of any country that has defeated terrorism by negotiating with terrorists. Under this Buhari government, what they call negotiation with terrorists has led government to the loss of huge revenue, to me, this is a way of funding terrorism.

 “There is absence of sincerity of purpose among governors because if all of them are sincere in approaching terrorism, their thoughts, line of action will be similar. I am totally disappointed with governors Bala Mohammed and Simon Lalong for the statements they have made, they have virtually given credence as to why Fulani should hold AK47.

“Mohammed and Lalong are chief security officers of their states, their duties are to protect lives and property, they know that the Fulani carry AK47, they have not prosecuted a single Fulani and now Lalong is adding farmers to it. He is reporting that farmers are also carrying, if he fails to prosecute a single Fulani, has he ever arrested any farmer killing any Fulani or any other person anywhere in this country? governor Lalong goofed irredeemably.

“For the governor of Benue state, I don’t count him as part of the north, I don’t actually consider Plateau as part of the north, Plateau aligns with the Middle Belt, if not the heart of the Middle Belt, the governor of Benue state was simply expressing frustration because this man has done what he could do, a combination of factors really is responsible for the discordant tunes you are seeing but the primary one being that there is no sincerity of purpose underlying the actions of the governors.

“We apologize to the Middle Belt that callous statements are emanating from Plateau, minority ethnic nationalities in the north, the Middle Belt and other parts of Nigeria are looking up to Plateau for example, for protection, for defense, for brotherliness, if we cannot prove that governor Lalong’s DNA doesn’t belong to Plateau, certainly the DNA of his thought pattern has been lost.”

On sheik Gumi, he added, “Unfortunately, to make such statement shows he is sympathetic and a friend to the terrorists. It is unfortunate and I hope that the government will find courage, if there is courage, sheik Gumi is due for invitation by the DSS to be questioned just like they questioned Mailafia, just like they threatened General T. Y. Danjuma.

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