The Association of Middle Belt Ethnic Nationality, ASOMBEN has said that the incessant attacks on its communities by armed Fulani Herdsmen have shown that President Muhammadu Buhari has to take urgent action on the issue.
The group suggested that the President should order the relocation of the Plateau State Joint Task Force Headquarters to Barkin Ladi town, where daily raids on villages in the local government area had worsen recently.
In a communiqué issued in Kaduna on Sunday and signed by its chairman, Rev. James Pam and secretary, Emmanuel Yavala, the group said “ASOMBEN is an umbrella body of several Middle Belt organisations that share similar aims and objectives which is the protection of the rights, cultures and values of Christians and the Muslim minorities of the Middle Belt.
“We have observed with dismay that the attacks on our communities by suspected armed Fulani men especially in Taraba, Plateau, Benue, Southern Kaduna and Nasarawa states with the Federal Government, FG, doing nothing to stop them, except sent in the JTF after each attack.
“This has recorded very little success in the past five years. We are pleading with President Buhari to change tactics like he did in the North East. Since Barkin Ladi, LGA, of plateau state seems to be the area that are under relentless mass attack by these gunmen in the past two months, we plead that the command Headquarters of Plateau JTF be moved to Barkin Ladi from Jos.
“The 2014 National Conference made many welcomed recommendations that should positioned this country for better governance, peaceful co-existence and fairer sharing of national resources. We therefore call on President Buhari and all our national legislators to begin the process of submitting executive and private member bills based on these recommendations.
“As government considers another ten year national population census, we demand that tribe, religion, LGA, and districts of origin be included in the data to be enumerated.
“These vital data were included in the 2006 census thus making some sections of the country to make claims that cannot be substantiated, thus giving them undue advangage over others in terms of appointment and sharing of resources.”
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