A former director-general of the National National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr Mike Omeri, yesterday strongly condemned increasing attacks on communities in Nasarawa State by terror gangs and infiltrators.
He also called for security reinforcement, especially in the affected communities, in order to forestall further loss of lives and properties.
Omeri in a statement also drew special attention to land seizures by new Fulani intruders in most parts of Nasarawa State including Kadarko in Keana LG, Doma, Akwanga, Kokona and Nasarawa Local government areas among others.
“While Nasarawa people are peace-loving and welcoming, visitors and new entrants into the communities should be harbingers of peace and development and not purveyors of trouble and death.
“We can co-habit peacefully by making it a duty to understand each other not through farmland capture where such lands are turned into new independent communities, rearing crime and terrible things including murders, theft and rape.
“A situation where citizens are forced to vacate their settlements in Nasarawa State must be corrected and tackled head-on. It is sad, it’s unacceptable, it’s disgraceful and condemnable,” the statement added.
It further said the attacks in those communities had become too frequent and worrisome, particularly over land capture, which he said was becoming unbearable and unacceptable.
“This statement has become imperative since the state authorities are perceived to be overlooking the increasing occurrence which is targeting some other groups in the areas,” he said.
Omeri noted that the attacks and killings had been established and were being perpetrated by the so-called “unknown gunmen” prior to electioneering activities, prompting residents to ponder and conclude that such killings were politically motivated.
He also attributed the frequent attacks as deliberately undertaken to cause confusion and dispersal of communities and deprive them of their settlements which are now gradually being taken by “unknown settlers.”
He appealed for more security presence in areas prone to attacks.
“I want to call on the government in power to rise to its challenge of protecting the citizenry. Governor Sule should put in more efforts and measures to stem the increasing wave of insecurity in Nasarawa State.
“Most communities in the state now live in fear of the unknown gunmen, therefore we must mobilise all security systems to rise to their obligation of securing the people and their properties,” Omeri said.
