Plateau Youth Groups under aegis of Berom Youths Moulders Association (BYM) and Forum of Bokkos Development Association have accused Coalition of Fulani Groups of spreading falsehood in the media all in a bid to mislead the public and the international community to cover up the barbaric and dastardly massacre of Plateau natives in Bokkos, Barkinladi and Mangu LGAs on last Christmas Eve in Plateau state.
Leader of the Plateau Groups Barr Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri who led other Plateau Youths groups to a Press conference on Thursday at the NUJ Press Center in Jos, said the Fulani Coalition group media briefing last Sunday in Jos was full of lies, cover up and deceit.
“The Fulani Coalition group Media conference in Jos last Sunday was an attempt to cover, confuse, misdirect and downplay the heinous crimes committed by their bandits, and therefore there was no sincerity in the Fulani’s pretentious condolences which actually amounted to a hidden sense of mockery and hypocricy,” accusing them of speaking from both sides of the mouth.
He noted that the misleading account of the so called Fulani coalition that 8 districts suddenly rose up against the Fulanis or their purported number of cattle herds without any reason is totally false.
He charged the Fulani to be honest enough to tell the world the truth about the December massacre of the natives in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi and Mangu by their hired Militias rather than lying to the world about what their people did to the natives on the Plateau.
To the best of our knowledge, Fulani headers have been hosted by local communities for decades, but now Fulanis have counted themselves unworthy of the hospitality and accommodation of the natives peoples who are largely sedentary peasant farmers.
He accused Fulani militias of unleashing terror on weak and harmless villages, annex their lands and deny them access to those territories not only in plateau but in other states of Nigeria.
According to him, in Plateau alone there are over 102 hamlets/ and villages that have been completely sacked and are being occupied by the Fulanis.
The Plateau youth group leader also accused Fulani headers of killing Bokkos paramount ruler Da Lazarus Agai and as well killed a district head and village head in similar circumstances few years ago.
According to him, the Fulani group is mischievous to brandish statistics with little or no evidence to substantiate that quite a number of their people have been killed.
He insisted that Fulani lacks customary rights and authority over Plateau lands and territories in their villages and communities except those acquired through purchase, gifts and goodwill.
The Plateau youth groups’ leader called on government to halt Fulani militants from further raiding their villages killing their people and displacing and as well disrupting the livelihood of their people.
He also called on the government to go after sponsors and networks of the Fulani militia within and outside Nigeria and to arrest the perpetrators and their local accomplices and bring them to justice.
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