The National President of Irigwe Development Association IDA Prince Robert Rigye Dodo has condemned the killing of 40 Irigwe people while over 500 cultivated farmlands worth over One billion Naira has been destroyed by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the last few months in the area.
Dodo made the disclosure while addressing a news conference in Jos on Tuesday, said, despite their endless, limitless and boundless efforts in ensuring that they do not cross the bounds of anyone by way of fomenting trouble, yet they are being attacked killed and subjected to absolute homeless and internally displaced condition .
According to him, they have been invited and participated in dialogues, meetings aimed at enhancing peace building and peacefully co-existence, they have kept their words in ensuring that they are not found wanting in any acts capable of ruining their reputation and integrity as a people, yet the Fulani herdsmen have tagged those engagement as an exercise in futility by constantly killing and maiming Irigwe people.
“Inspite of these series of unabated attacks in Irigwe land, they have less attention from those whose primary responsibility is the security of lives and property of the citizens. We are pained and have been allowed to mourn and grieve on our own as if we did not have people in the helms of affairs seeing and watching Fulani herdsmen unleashed mayhem on the people.
“It’s worthy of note that from the beginning of the year 2021 to date, over forty (40) Rigwe people have been killed by Fulani herdsmen in Bassa and Jos North LGAS, over twenty houses razed down, several farming implements and household items carted away over 500 cultivated of different farmlands worth over N1 billion naira destroyed and many unbearable losses”.
He further stressed: “In a continuous brutal show of force against the Irigwe people, nobody has been arrested , investigated and prosecuted according to the law of the land.
“Even with the name of Fulani herdsmen suspected to be the perpetrators of this deadly act. We are concerned because their continuous living without being apprehended is like encouraging criminality .”
Prince Dodo also said Irigwe houses that have been burnt down by this enemies of progress which they have not received any attention, adding that no assessment carried out by local, State and the Federal Government, calling for justice to be done in its fullness in all the killings and wanton destruction of property in Irigwe land.
The Irigwe also demand for government to initiate a rebuilding plan to have all those houses razed down rebuilt so as to enable the owners returned to their ancestral lands.
The Plateau tribe also urged government to immediately compensate the people whose farmlands and crops have been destroyed.
