Plateau Killings: "Pick Up Arms and Defend Yourselves, Buhari's Government won't save you" - Jang Tells Middle Belt/Igbos, Says Nigeria Leaders are failures

A former governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang, has urged residents of the state to defend themselves after the perceived failure of the federal and state authorities to defend them.

The state has been rocked by an unending security crisis in recent months leading to the death of many persons.

The senator, who called for self-protection within the parameters of the law, also asked President Muhammadu Buhari and governor Simon Lalong to resign for their inability to protect Plateau citizens.

Mr Jang, a presidential aspirant, who was reacting to Thursday’s attacks that led to the killing of many around Rukuba road, made the call in a statement signed by his media aide, Clinton Garuba, and sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

The state government hadimposed a dusk to dawn curfew in the affected two local government areas following the Thursday night killings and the resultant violent protests on Friday.

The former governor urged residents to rise up and defend themselves within the perimeters of the law, “as it is now dangerous to trust the commander-in-chief with our security.”

“Before we are all wiped out from the face of the earth by gunmen whose familiarisation with murder and violence seem to confound our Armed Forces and the overall structure of government, the Senator without equivocation hereby calls on President Muhammdu Buhari and Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State to resign with immediate effect having displayed unfathomable insensitivity and cluelessness in the aspects of security and value for human life,” the statement read..

“This recent surge of mindless killings in Plateau State is a damning appraisal to the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari and the Governor of Plateau State.

“Under the present administration, hardly a day passes by without news of people getting killed by herdsmen or unknown gunmen with ancestral lands forcefully occupied and people rendered homeless and internally displaced on their own land.”

According to Mr Jang, who is currently facing corruption charges over his stewardship as governor of the state; Nigerians, especially those in the middle belt areas are no longer safe with Mr Buhari as president.



Meanwhile, Yakubu Dati, the state commissioner of information and communication, in a swift response condemned the call. He also urged security agencies to arrest anyone who takes the law into their hands.

“It is condemnable and uncalled for,” Mr Dati said.

“This shows the violence is politically motivated. We call on the security agents in the state to as a matter of urgency ensure that whoever is found taking law into their hands be brought to book.

“We are very confident that the people of Plateau State will not listen to such a call because already, peace is gradually returning and people are going back to their normal activities. We call on good people of the state to remain calm.”