The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has alleged that there was conspiracy and act of collusion in the Plateau state massacre.
It added that the invasion of five communities and the killings of over 70 persons by unknown gunmen in Gashish and Ropp Districts of Barkin Ladi and Bokkos local government areas of Plateau State on Christmas eve had raised national and global concerns about the security of persons in Nigeria, particularly the North Central region of Nigeria.
The Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, in a statement issued Thursday day, said what was more sinister was that warnings of impending attacks are unheeded by security agencies, coupled with the apparent unwillingness of the political leadership to arrest perpetrators and nip the violence in Plateau State in the bud.
It noted that there was something about this anonymity which makes the murders of the Plateau sinister.
It said: “What is more sinister is that warnings of impending attacks are unheeded by security agencies, coupled with the apparent unwillingness of the political leadership to arrest perpetrators and nip the violence in Plateau State in the bud.
“If the accounts of witnesses are to be believed, what stands clear is the act of collusion and conspiracy in the bloodletting. The murders on the Plateau have gone on for too long and must be stopped now!.”
It stressed that these murders, which have become the cyclical outcomes of inter-communal violence in Plateau State, showed how grievances between communities could be turned into organised violence by unidentified groups and persons who use violent methods to address perceived differences.
The caucus added that when Jos was turned into an infernal theatre and a killing field in which 1,000 people lost their lives in 2001, many thought that the violent expressions of differences had reached the zenith.
It said unfortunately, more attacks followed in Jos, Wase, Langtang North, Langtang South, Shendam, Mikang, Qua’an Pan, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom, resulting in many deaths and the destruction of properties.
It called on the National Assembly Security Committees to draw strength from Sections 4, 88 and 89 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended, to commence a proper and detailed investigation into the persistent murders and proffer legislative solutions to end same.
