The Middle Belt Journalists Forum (MBJF) has voiced its deep concern over the escalating violence in communities across the region in recent weeks. With a focus on Plateau, Benue, and Kogi States, the forum highlights the need for urgent intervention from security agencies to protect the region’s residents from deadly attacks.
In a statement issued over the weekend by its National President, Mark Mayah, and National Secretary, Ladi Emmanuel, the MBJF condemns the recent spate of violence, particularly the tragic incidents in Plateau State where innocent students and community members fell victim to ruthless assailants.
The forum calls upon military authorities, including Chief of Defence Staff Lt. General Christopher Musa, as well as service chiefs and top security officials, to address the alarming situation in the Middle Belt. They emphasize the need to apprehend those responsible for the attacks, which have inflicted immense suffering on the region for over two decades.
Highlighting specific instances of brutality, including the recent massacres in Kogi, Benue, and Plateau States, the MBJF denounces these acts as barbaric and tragic. They urge the federal government to intensify efforts to end the bloodshed and acknowledge the sacrifices made by the Middle Belt region to uphold national unity.
Rejecting the characterization of the violence as mere farmers-herdsmen conflict, the forum insists on recognizing it as ethnic cleansing aimed at usurping ancestral lands. They implore the Inspector General of Police, service chiefs, and the National Security Adviser to promptly investigate the root causes of the violence and provide humanitarian assistance to displaced individuals.
Expressing solidarity with the affected families, the MBJF calls for cooperation with security forces to restore peace and demands the recovery of public infrastructure and farmlands currently under the control of armed assailants.
