Gyang Bere, Jos
The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Plateau District Church Council, has kicked against disarming and arrest of Christians in possession of Dane guns, sticks, and leaving herdsmen who allegedly possess and carry arms openly to unleash terror on innocent citizens.
In a press statement signed by the Chairman, Dr. David Jonah Laje and Secretary Rev. Sylvanus Mato Tozy, the church called on Federal Government to compensate denominations and people whose churches, houses and farmlands were destroyed during the recent invasion by killer herdsmen in the state.
“While the ECWA family on the Plateau is against the proliferation of firearms, it notes with concern the glaring display of sophisticated arms and weapons by the Fulani herdsmen with nobody apprehending them.
“We are as much as concern with the disarming and arrest of people in possession of arms but a situation where the natives are harassed, dispossessed of their sticks and den guns meant to protect themselves and arrested while the Fulani herdsmen who possess and carry such weapons openly are not disarmed or arrested is not acceptable.
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“We demand compensation for houses, churches, property, farmlands and crops belonging to our members from the Federal Government.”
The church also condemned the barbaric attack that led to the death of over 200 persons, and urged the Federal Government to recover villages and farmlands that had been forcefully taken by the herdsmen.
“Government should immediately set in motion a proper mechanism to recover villages currently under forceful and illegal occupation by the Fulani herdsmen in Barkin-Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos, Bassa, Mangu and Jos South and any other part of the state and allow the displaced owners go back and resettle on their ancestral homes and land with adequate security back up.”
ECWA condemned the attack on Governor Simon Lalong and his entourage and called for proper provision be made to cater for the feeding, protection, shelter and health of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).