• Group explains cause of violence in Plateau community
THE Chief of Army Staff, Nigerian Army, Lt.-Gen. O. A. Ihejirika, has said that checking the activities of Boko Haram before they strike is critical to winning the war against terrorism in Nigeria. And to successfully do that, it will require intelligence gathering not only by the military but more coming from the citizens.
He said this in Lagos Tuesday at a military-media relation organised by the Nigerian Army. Ihejirika, who noted that the media is close to the people, therefore, said it should collaborate with the Army in getting intelligence information that will aid its operations in checking the activities of Boko Haram.
Ihejirika maintained that any country or community whose citizens have high level of security awareness have greater chances of defeating terrorists before they carry out their dastardly acts. He said that the primary goal of terrorists is to win the attention of the media, national and foreign publics and decision makers in a government.
The Chief of Army Staff noted that terrorists also carefully select the places they carry out their attacks in order to provide the best media coverage.
"Apart from this, terrorists use the media to publicise their political causes, convey the motives for their terrorists' deeds and explain their rationale for resorting to violence. They also use the media to edify their leadership.
The need for a professional, patriotic and responsible reporting of matters of security also caught the attention Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola and the Minister of State, Erelu Olusola Obada, both of who canvassed improved military-media relations.
Fashola also queried allowing threats from leaders of groups who do not have authority of the state to get published on front page. He enjoined the media to commend the military when they make in-roads as he said sometimes the prevention of crime lies with the citizens.
Obada said that relationship between the media and the military must be symbiotic.
In a related development, the Association of Safety Professionals and Practitioners (ASPROP) has urged the Federal Government to return the country to the era of genuine policing which involves crime detection, thorough investigation combined with adequate funding and equipping of men of the Nigeria Police.
Expressing worries over frequent cases of violence in the country and numerous unsolved cases of killings, including the recent assassination of Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chinwike Asadu, its National Co-Coordinator, Mr. Lanre Ajegbomogun, said there is the need to build Nigeria's internal security structure around the police.
Ajegbomogun, who commended President Goodluck Jonathan for his excellent decision of making IG Mohammed Abubakar the police boss added: "Abubakar needed to be given the tools to succeed in the job by allowing him access the increasing security vote to adequately equip the police, train and re-train the men in the art of modern policing."
He declared his support for the scrapping of Police Ministry, which he said, constitutes a bureaucracy or bottleneck that delays fast or quick decision-making or release of funds.
Meanwhile, the President of Aten Development Association (ADA) in Ganawuri Chiefdom of Riyom Local Government Council in Plateau State, Mr. Chom Bagu, yesterday in Jos at a press conference, explained circumstances that led to the violence that engulfed the area recently.
According to Bagu "Some Fulani and their herds were stopped by the Atakar of Ganawuri. That led to some exchange of gunfire. However, on Wednesday, March 20, the Ganawuri market day, while the Aten were busy at the market, the Atakar started burning houses belonging to the Fulani.
"The Atar Aten quickly reported this to the Plateau State Commissioner of Police and the STF and urged the Fulani not to respond. On Thursday, March 21, the Fulani responded and burnt some Atakar houses. The Atar Aten once again visited the Police Commissioner and took with him the Ardo-Fulani Chief. On Friday, the Riyom Local Council Security Council met in Ganawuri to address the violence. In that meeting, the Atakar themselves said the violence started in Fadan Atakar and was imported into Ganawuri in Plateau State; no reasons were given for the violence at all.
"We all thought the violence had ended and our chiefs were set to support a peaceful resolution of the conflict. However, on Saturday, March 23, the violence resumed when the Atakar came out with arms and attacked the Fulani, burning the few remaining houses. The Fulani avenged that Saturday night and the following Sunday with more burning and killing culminating in the total sacking of the Atakar from their settlements."
The Guardian