Army moves to prevent Southern Kaduna nightmare in Plateau
The Nigeria Army, under the auspices of the Special Task Force (STF), code name Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), at the weekend took a trip to Fulani settlement in Mahanga under Ryiom local government area of Plateau state, to beseech them to continue to tolerate and live in peace with their host community, the Berom tribe in northern Plateau.
The army General in-charge of the STF Command in Plateau and some parts of Bauchi state and now Southern Kaduna, Maj-Gen Rogers Ibe Nicholas, said the move becomes imperative as the Southern Kaduna mayhem was orchestrated as a result of the fall out between the natives of Southern Kaduna and the Fulani’s who have before now live together in harmony for years.
Our correspondent reports that the trip to the Fulani enclave in Mahanga reveals how much the STF has put on ground to ensure that they win the hearts and minds of the people with the siting of two bores holes powered by solar energy in a settlement that has lacked access to water for over a decade.
According to the Army boss, “we are visiting Mahanga for the second time and this is significant because we want them to continue to live in harmony with their host community and we thought that continuous dialogue with them will yield the desired result.
“We don’t want the Fulani in Plateau to get involved with what is happening in S/Kaduna, hence the need to sensitize them to continue to be law abiding; even as both the Federal and State Government is doing their beat as well as the Defense Headquarters to ensure that the hole country remain together.
“Providing water bore hole for them is part of our military civil relationship which we have demonstrated in various communities within Plateau.
“It is the role of the Military to sustain peace after crisis by reaching out to communities in the area of providing social amenities that will have direct impact on people, such as bore holes, free medical outreach, assist in teaching school children in places where teachers fled as a result of crisis, like in some communities in Plateau where our Soldiers are assisting to teach school children.”
Responding, the Ardo (community leader), in Mahanga, Mamod Adamu, said the siting of water bore hole in the area is an evidence that peace has returned to Plateau.
He said the Fulani and the Berom natives have forgiven one another and have resorted to live together as they now visit each other in their various communities, a gesture that was impossible in the recent past, the Ardo said.
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