VP Osinbajo Meets Representatives Of The Different Sides In The Plateau Conflicts On 25/06/2018

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We must condemn killings of any kind. It doesn’t matter whether these killings are by herdsmen killing villagers, or whether it is villagers who in one way or the other have killed others, including herdsmen. I think it is important that we condemn these killings, in particular these killings that have taken place where so many people have lost their lives in the last few days. There is no reason at all why anyone who commits these offences will escape.

The head of the Operation Safe Haven as well as the DIG (Police) have confirmed to me that some arrests have been made and those persons will face the law, and that more arrests will be made. I think it is important that we ensure that there is justice. I want you to be sure that we will do so, we will make sure that those who have been arrested are duly prosecuted, and that others who are engaged in this heinous conduct are also arrested and prosecuted.

It is our duty as community leaders that we do not allow this cycle of violence to continue. As I said to the community leaders, issues like these are dealt with and resolved by men and not spirits. It is those of us who are alive and well today, those of us who are leaders, community leaders, leaders of state, local and federal governments, who must resolve these issues. And we cannot shy away from resolving the issues.

We must be bold enough to be able to tell our communities that resolving these disputes is a give-and-take issue. There is no zero sum here, with so many losses, so many deaths over time. But we must find a solution, and the solution is in the type of sacrifices that leaders are prepared to make.

The DG of NEMA will ensure that that is done as relief materials are provided in various areas where they are required. We have also talked about the 10billion fund which the government approved for the rehabilitation of farms and farming communities; the farmers in particular. Fortunately, we have the Deputy Chairman for Food and Security Council who is here with us; the Governor of Kebbi. That fund is to enable farmers who have not been able to farm, but who have lost farmlands to be rehabilitated and we would provide for them inputs, we would provide whatever assistance is required so that they can go back to their farms and go back to farmlands and this we are going to make available also here in Plateau State.

We will look at how to implement several of those suggestions as we go along. Some include the permanent positioning of security agencies in certain communities that are prone to these types of violence. And we intend to see how we can put in place permanent security, especially the police, and in some cases, military deployment in some of those places where flash-points tend to be on a frequent basis. And we’ve agreed to some locations where this security deployment ought to be made.