Herdsmen allegedly rename over 54 communities grabbed from Plateau indigenes -Report

macfranc007 June 30, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Naija news 24/7 Jerrywright Ukwu

A report by Vanguard claims that over 54 communities in Plateau state have been taken over by herdsmen after recent attacks in the state on farming communities.

According to the report, the attacks have seen native communities in Plateau state taken over by invading herders and even renaming them.

The natives, mostly Berom by tribe have reportedly watched helplessly as their homes were occupied, people killed and farmlands taken over and in some cases, the original names of the villages changed.

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The report noted that prominent leaders of the Berom tribe and socio-cultural groups before now had consistently appealed to the Federal Government to tackle land occupation by foreign herders but their entreaties were ignored.

The report informed that the occupied communities include “Rotchun (aka Rafin Acha), Dankum (renamed “Mahanga”), Hywa (renamed “Lugere”), Fass (renamed “Tafawa”), Davwak, Chwelnyap, Lyoho Dakar, and Angwan Dalyop which were all attacked between September 7 and 10, 2001 with the original inhabitants displaced.

Others are, Janda, attacked on February 8, 2010; Darin, attacked on April 28, 2013;, Shong I, Shong II; Rakweng; Dashugu; Diyan-Hei; Maseh (renamed “Lugel”) all attacked on June 29, 2012.

Also occupied by the invaders are Kampwas; Kasa; Zere; Ninja-Hei; Seh; Nicha; Pwabeduk; Hyai; Kufang; Sharu; Dogo; Ningon; Rantis and Angio which were reportedly all sacked and occupied on the July 7, 2012. Kachin community was also sacked on the November 7, 2012.

On December 26, 2014, Shonong community was reportedly invaded and sacked, even as the surviving inhabitants had not returned since. So also were Rahol and Chikogo communities. Ranchol was attacked and occupied on October 7, 2013. Nangam was overran on the April 30, 2014, as well as Kak and Dajak.

Rarin was invaded on August 30, 2015; Kujei on February 2, 2015; Attakar attacked on March 14, 2014, as well as Nantwa and some parts of Bisichi. Rahol-Mazat was attacked and occupied on April 14, 2015; Kai and Luk-Fei on the February 19, 2014; Mallel, Bel between March 8 & 9, 2015. Rahei took place on the 3rd of April, 2015; Zim, Jong, Rabuk, Lobiring and Gwara Dadep on of June 9, 2015.

It further revealed that no Internally Displaced Persons’ Camp was provided for the displaced persons as most of the sacked residents were accommodated by relatives while they found a way of integrating themselves into safer communities where they ran to.

Reacting to the situation, a youth group, APC Youths Online Forum has appealed to relevant stakeholders to work with Governor Simon Lalong to “reclaim the villages and lands occupied by the herdsmen and hand them over to the natives of the communities.”

On his part, the state governor, Simon Lalong lamented the spate of killings and displacement of settlements saying that his administration would not tolerate land grabbing in any part of the state.

His words: “Those fighting, killing people and destroying their settlements with the intention of taking ownership of such places would not be allowed to do so. If you think you can chase people out and grab their land, we as a government would not allow you to own the land. My administration is working out modalities for prosecuting land grabbers to discourage the act.”

Meanwhile, a former Archbishop of the Catholic Church in Lagos, Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie, has accused President Buhari of shielding killer herdsmen and treating them with kids gloves.

Cardinal Okogie made the claims in an open letter written to the president titled: “Dear Mr. President, Call a Spade a Spade.” He also asked the president to renounce his seat following what he described as the Buhari’s failure to secure the lives and property of Nigerians.

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