Putting An End To Travellers Killing In Plateau State -By Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua

The gruesome murdering of 12 travellers from Basawa in Zaria of Kaduna State,who were heading to quan pang local government of plateau State for weeding ceremony last week Friday,is sad and condemnable. The driver who was conveying the passengers get lost and intercepted by mobs in mangu. The mobs after identifying the travellers identity descended on them,killed 8 persons on spot and set the bus belonging to Ahmadu Bello University(ABU), ablaze including the corpses.

The remaining passengers who sustained various degrees of injuries were moved to mangu general Hospital. The attacks and killings of innocent travellers have become a recurring event in Plateau State’s communities. Many innocent travellers had met their untimely death in the hands of these merchants of death who threw away any decency and humanity to the wind. Plateau State was once a peaceful state. It bears a slogan “home of peace and tourism.” The state housed different ethnic groups which coexisted or sandwiched together peacefully for over a long period of time.

However,the once peaceful and serene environment of plateau state has since shattered and turned to a centre of conflict,with many lives and properties lost due to prolong orgy or violence. Now,there is deep mutual suspicious among the various ethnic groups in the state.The lingering conflict between the Fulani nomadic and sedentary farmers has defied any solution in the state.There is an ongoing cycle of revenge and counter revenge attacks among the perceived aggressors and victims which made the conflict difficult to resolve. The violence has since been ethnised and wore religious toga. At slight provocation or attacks from aggressors who are believed to be fulani marauders,innocent travellers are attacked and killed with impunity. The mobs waylaid the travellers,believing they share the same faith or tribe with their aggressors.

The killing of innocent travellers did not start with basawa innocent weeding guest.Going down to the memory lane,in 2021,some fulanis from Ondo State visited their revered Islamic scholar in Bauchi. Sadly,their lives were terminated in plateau State when their driver mistakenly ran into some protesters. Also ,in 2018, Major General Alkali,was gruesomely murdered by some berom youths in Du community of Jos south local government. It is sad to note,the perpetrators of these heinous act get away with their sins. Their ungodly acts did not go beyond condemnation and rhetoric by constituted authorities, assuring that,the culprits will be brought to book. That will be end of the story,until another circle of killings occur. The inability of government to purnish the culprits has further emboldened their nefarious activities and gave them audacity to strike. Though, the plateau State governor,Caleb Muftwang,has described the killings of the travellers as barbaric and promised to arrest and prosecute the culprits,he should match his words with actions.

The plateau State police command has confirmed the arrest of 22 persons in connection with the atrocity. This is a good development. Anybody who participated in the murdering of 13 innocent travellers should be identified and purnished according to the laws of the land. Their prosecution will serve as deterrent to other. Further more, Plateau state government,should carry out sensitisation programmes on the need for religious tolerance and humanity among the adherence of two religious. Neither Christianity nor islam,preaches killing of innocent lives. One wonders, whether we are practicing our religious the way it is supposed to be or no?

Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua, Kaduna State. 08169056963.