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Killings in Plateau: Lawyer writes letter, says Lalong not doing enough to stop rampaging Fulani militia
OPEN LETTER TO GOV. SIMON BAKO LALONG ON THE INCESSANT CARNAGE AND POGROM OF THE IRIGWE COMMUNITY OF BASSA LGA OF PLATEAU STATE
Your Excellency
It is with deep-seated humility and utmost reverence to your exalted office that I, Barr Emmanuel Menseh Madaki, a legal practitioner and your colleague in the noble professional calling of law have thought it most convenient and worthwhile to write to you this open letter in view of the hydra-headed monster of the Fulani militia on colossal rampage in our dear state which you superintend as the Chief Security of Officer same.
I feel so lugubrious that this carnage is ongoing in our dear state duly bequeathed to us by our forefathers and grandmasters with a caveat to faithfully and decently manage its affairs to the benefit of all which is now under your watch and supervision.
Sir, since the issue of Fulani people constantly killing us in the state is of momentous concern to all well-meaning and all right-thinking people of Plateau State as a microcosm of the entire nation.
For the records sir, in just 2 days, August 2-3 2021, 13 villages were raided in Irigwe land, 500 homes destroyed and burnt to ashes, over 68 people butchered like animals and today over 30, 000 people have been displaced and rendered homeless in their own state. The contents of this letter, therefore, should be available to all those who can help in proffering effective solutions for the problem of insecurity in Plateau State because it appears that as the Chief Security Officer of the state, you have not impressed neither our ancestors nor our dear people of Plateau State at all. We are indeed saddened by this manifest show of ineptitude and happy-go-lucky attitude by your Government.
As a matter of fact, herdsmen/farmers crises and menace escalated wildly with this government treating the issue with cuddling gloves instead of hammer. It has festered and spread. Today, it has developed into a lucrative industry of banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and killings all over Plateau State. The unfortunate situation is that the criminality is being perpetrated almost on recurrent bases yet there is no modicum of visible effort being demonstrated by your government towards allaying the timeless and perennial fears of our people instead, the annihilation of our heritage has left the state on the brink of utter collapse.
Remember, perception may be as potent as reality at times.
Funnily enough, sir, it appears so sardonically that you have apparently appeared to have forgotten so easily that the very onerous and catastrophic cloud is gathering. And the rain of horrendous destruction, violence, disaster and disunity which is consuming the very people you vowed to defend and protect can only be the outcome at the end of the day which are already seeing.
Nothing should be taken for granted, the clock is ticking with the cacophony of dissatisfaction and disaffection everywhere in and outside Plateau state. We must logically discern and appreciate the significance, implication and likely consequences of your lackluster attitude towards the security and welfare of the people of Plateau state which remains the cardinal responsibility of Government as enshrined under section 14 (2) b of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. With these ugly happenings in the state, we can no longer say with certainty that we have a state called Plateau State.
Pathetically baffling is the injustice, molestation and onslaught of great momentum carefully perpetrated on the people of Irigwe in Miango village of Bassa LGA of the state which is the Local Government that houses the 3rd armoured Division of the Nigerian Military yet there was no intervention from the military for two clear days when the sad event of wanton inhumanity to man happened leaving many dead and many others homeless yet your Government did not come out to condemn the weakness of the military in not acting swiftly neither did you take further plausible steps to assuage the anxiety and frustration of the innocent blood that had been split in the state.
Your singular act of perpetual silence has pictured you and your Government as a weak one and the indigenes of our dear state are not happy and therefore tempted to ask you to visit Borno State with some long note books to take some lessons from the Governor of Borno State who has been proactive in this area. If I were God, I would not allow rain to fall in Plateau State for the next one month because of the unmitigated bloodshed which has been spilt in the state by the Fulani Militia, your debilitating silence sir, is only helpful to the adversary. We need cohesion and concentration of effort and maximum force – political, economic, social, psychological and military – to deal successfully with the menace of criminality and terrorism separately and together.
Most ironically lamentable sir, is the fact that on the day when the attacks on our innocent people whom you had sworn to protect and defend was at its peak, a visit was paid to your house at the new Government house by some concerned indigenes of the state only for them to be greeted with the sordid news that you were asleep after patiently waiting for you for almost an hour. This is against the spirit of the great Plateau of our founding fathers.
Sir, as your lover and learned colleague I want you to henceforth know that our people of Plateau State are now more defenseless, uncared for, abandoned and rejected than ever in the history of our collective existence. If you can no longer protect us and our properties by issuing the appropriate orders to secure our people, it will be most honourable to voluntarily tender your letter of resignation and posterity will be kind to you if not step up and impress us in the remaining years. But at the moment we are collectively disappointed, dejected and we feel betrayed that foreigners will come to our dear state and execute their nefarious plans without being apprehended.
For how long shall you watch the maiming, destruction, constant and unabated killings consume all of us? Today is Irigwe in Miango, tomorrow is Bokkos and the circle turns vicious. We are tired, act now and save your name!
I conclude by saying that, Plateau State is the only place we have, we must jealously guard same against external intrusion. The families of the homeless indigenes of Plateau State affected by these dastardly acts must be taken cared of by the government, their houses must be rebuilt and they should be resettled too in no distant time with adequate security to protect our people. I hope sir, wise counsel shall prevail from your ends in the circumstance.
Yours in the struggle for a better Plateau
Emmanuel Menseh Madaki, Esq. LL.B (Hons.), BL, LLM (ABU), MIPMA
Legal Practitioner
Member representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and Minority Leader of the House, Honourable Kingsley Chinda said, the Tax Reform Bills would serve the interest of citizens of Nigeria.
He spoke in defence of the passage of the recent tax reform bill, describing it as a product of diligent legislative work aimed at serving Nigerians’ interests.
Speaking to journalists at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Hon. Chinda emphasized that effective opposition does not require public confrontations but strategic engagement. He noted that the tax reform bill, initially flawed, was subjected to thorough scrutiny and stakeholder consultations before passage.
“We saw that the bill was not good enough for Nigerians, so we pushed for reforms,” Chinda stated. “We engaged the National Assembly leadership, consulted governors, state parliaments, and civil society groups to ensure the final version better served the people.”
While acknowledging that no law is perfect, he maintained that the revised bill represents significant progress, balancing public interest and economic needs.
On the PDP’s internal crisis, Chinda expressed disappointment over conflicting interpretations of the Supreme Court’s judgment affirming Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s national secretary. He dismissed claims by some members still recognizing Chief Ndubuisi Okoye, describing such actions as misleading.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling was clear—Anyanwu was never lawfully removed and remains our national secretary,” Chinda said. He criticized the party’s National Organizing Secretary for causing confusion and urged members to seek clarification from the Peoples Democratic Party’s legal adviser instead of spreading misinformation.
Chinda, who is a leading opposition voice in the House, called for unity, cautioning against public disputes that damage the party’s image. “We must avoid washing our dirty linen in public. The judgment is final, and we should focus on strengthening the party ahead of future elections,” he advised.
Despite the Peoples Democratic Party’s challenges, Chinda expressed optimism about the party’s resurgence after its upcoming congresses and national convention. He urged members to prioritize Nigeria’s interests over personal ambitions, emphasizing that internal disagreements would not diminish the PDP’s role as a viable opposition.
On concerns about Nigeria drifting toward a one-party system, Chinda dismissed fears, stating that the PDP’s revival depends on strategic repositioning rather than the ruling All Progressives Congress’ actions. “We must go back to the drawing board, put the country first, and rebuild,” he concluded.
The Minority Leader’s remarks underscored his commitment to legislative diligence and party discipline, even as the PDP navigates its current turbulence.
HaAN OPEN LETTER TO ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR: THE CASE OF GOING TO EQUITY WITHOUT CLEAN HANDS
My attention as a Public Affairs Commentator and Citizen of Wukari in Taraba State has been invited to various invectives of unprecedented dimension directed at His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON by my brother, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar ostensibly to give oxygen to resurrect his endless political odyssey and sordid presidential ambition. I am weighing into this public narrative to interrogate various disruptions triggered by some notable politicians like Atiku Abubakar in our national life.
It is hardly possible to build anything out of frustration and bitterness. This is sadly the predicament of a one-time Vice President, Atiku Abubakar who is on course to being enlisted in the Guinness Book of Records, as the only person globally, who has unsuccessfully contested for President for six times spanning 33 years.
These bitterness and frustration have beclouded his reasoning. Atiku Abubakar, who is shamefully a dominant mention in every page of the corruption history in Nigeria, an insipid and serial sodomist, could have rather used the Ramadan period to seek for the atonement of his many mortal and monumental sins from the Almighty Allah, but his engagement in chicanery and unbridled umbrage in the most malicious and defamatory manner is the sad characterization of a man reputed for low family values and child abuse.
The series of pernicious lies peddled by Atiku deserve response in this era of positive and innovative Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which has invited collective actions for the growth and prosperity of Nigeria. Atiku Abubakar’s putrid and repulsive corrupt practices have made Nigerians to reject him for a record six times. A master of failure indeed!
It is an established fact that Atiku Abubakar is the most corrupt Nigerian, having been associated with every high-profile corruption allegation in the country across the private and public sectors. In 1996, the then Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha seized control of the NICOTES shares belonging to him and renamed it Integrated Logistics Services Inc.
In 2006, Atiku was indicted by the EFCC and the Federal Government Administrative Panel of Inquiry after a Special Audit /Forensic Investigation of PTDF from 1999 to May 31, 2006.
Internationally, he is known as a super conman. Atiku’s association with American Congressman William Jefferson, who was jailed for 13 years in 2009 over bribery and other charges is well known to millions of Nigerians.
For those who don’t know, Atiku was the subject of a probe about 15 years ago by the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs chaired by Senator Carl Levin. He was indicted for using offshore companies to siphon about 40 million dollars from Nigeria between 2000 and 2008 to his fourth wife in the United States, Jennifer Iwenjiora Douglas Abubakar (now divorced).
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom Atiku served for 8 years as Vice President, in his book ’MY WATCH’, in the chapter, titled “Atiku and US Justice Entanglement”, gave a vivid account of “corrupt involvement” of Atiku with a company called iGATE and William Jefferson. Obasanjo equally linked Atiku to the embezzlement of $20 million, funds that were to be utilized by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), and another $125 million to fund PTDF during 2003 fiscal year.
The immediate past governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has also spoken eloquently about Atiku’s corrupt adventure. In his book, ’The Accidental Public Servant’, El-Rufai gave a detailed account of Atiku’s corrupt involvement in Ericsson’s deals, the PTDF scandal, Abuja Water Treatment Plant contract and his obsession with marabouts – these marabouts that have been deceiving him since 1991 that he will be president.
A serial women abuser, Atiku has divorced two of his wives since 1971 (Ladi and Jennifer). In the case of Jennifer, even after the divorce, he threatened and bullied her out of Nigeria. Jennifer had to sell her law chambers in Nigeria and relocated to the UK.
He has been after the woman in an attempt to dispossess her of her assets and properties.
A certified child abuser, Atiku’s exploits with hapless boys and young men are well known. No wonder, in his eight years as vice president and many years as wealthy man (though filthy), Atiku could not boast of a school that could cater for the educational needs of the less privileged, especially boys (Almajiri’s), but now runs the exotic ABTI University and a host of other businesses that are out of the reach of the common man.
In the contrary, unlike Atiku Abubakar, Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON has for over two decades, conducted himself with integrity and transparency. His accomplishments in Akwa Ibom State, in particular, and Nigeria in general, are symbolized in the countless legacies of infrastructure, human capacity development and tourists’ hub.
Just yesterday (Tuesday), the Super Eagles of Nigeria hosted The Warriors of Zimbabwe in a World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo. The stadium, which is the only FIFA approved facility in Nigeria, was built by Akpabio as governor of the state. What did Atiku do for Adamawa state and Nigeria?
The Zimbabwean delegation also flew Ibom Air and landed at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo- all legacies of the Uncommon Transformer. But where are Atiku’s legacies for the people? He can only lay claim to a chain of businesses, which are products of pillaging and corrupt investments.
In all of these, it is crystal clear that Akpabio’s unflinching support for President Tinubu, who blocked Atiku’s emergence as the presidential candidate of the APC in 2015 and frustrated his return bid in 2019 and yet floored him in the 2023 general elections is the reason for Atiku’s hostile charge against the Senate President.
But using Akpabio as a ladder to get to the president cannot do Atiku any good. Both Tinubu and Akpabio are united by the resolve to rejig and reset the nation and give Nigerians dividends of democracy, which Atiku as vice president worked tirelessly to undermine for personal aggrandizement.
It is also axiomatic that Atiku has started preparation for the 2027 general elections. As for Akpabio and Tinubu, they are preoccupied with state and governance issues and would not swim with the former vice president in his quest to distract the duo from delivering good governance to Nigerians. When 2027 comes, Nigerians will, for the umpteenth time give, Atiku a black eye and vote the best candidate.
DANJUMA ISAIAH writes from
Wukari in Taraba State
The Honourable Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubaka mini visited the Executive Governor of Katsina State, Mallam Umar Dikko Umaru Radda, at the Government House in Katsina to express condolences following the passing of his beloved mother, Hajiya Safara’u Umar Bare-Bari Radda.
During the visit, Minister Abubakar, on behalf of himself, his family, the Minister of State for Defence H.E. Dr. Bello Matawalle MON and the entire staff of the Ministry of Defence, conveyed heartfelt condolences to Governor Radda, his family, and the people of Katsina State during this difficult time.
In his remarks, he prayed for Almighty Allah to forgive the deceased, grant her mercy, and bestow upon her a place in Jannatul Firdaus. He also offered prayers for the Governor and his family, asking for strength and fortitude to bear this profound loss.
The Minister was accompanied by Hon. Idris Garba Jahun, former Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, along with Hon. Abubakar Sadiq Jallo and Hon. Mas’ud A. Naruwa, members of the Katsina State House of Assembly representing Hadejia and Babura, respectively.
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