Barrister Solomon Dalung, former Minister of Sports, addresses the media on behalf of MEN
THE Movement for the Emancipation of Nigeria, MEN, has condemned the continued killings in different communities of Plateau State while painting a scary picture of how impunity emboldens the killers.
At a press briefing in Jos on Monday, Comrade Solomon Dalung, former Minister of ports lamented that aa the State battled with the killings, more communities are being attacked.
The full statement at the press briefing titled, “We Stand With Plateau: Exposing the Truth Behind the Killings and the Silence of Complicity”, follows:
“The Movement for the Emancipation of Nigeria (MEN) extends its deepest condolences to the innocent victims of the recent coordinated attacks in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. Our hearts bleed for the over 52 lives lost and the thousands displaced in Mongor, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti, Tadai, and surrounding villages.
“While the State is still battling with crisis and displacement management, another tragic round of attacks occurred in Zike and Kimakpa communities in Kwall District of Irigwe Chiefdom, Bassa Local Government Area, Plateau State, resulting in the loss of 47 lives and the destruction of ancestral settlements.
“In this moment of anguish, MEN stands in total solidarity with the grieving families and the resilient people of Plateau. You are not alone.
“We mourn not just the lives lost, but the continued desecration of ancestral lands, the humiliation of dignified people, and the willful silence of those elected to protect them.
“A Crisis With Roots
“Let no one pretend this violence started yesterday. The Plateau crisis has roots tracing back to 2001, with widespread bloodshed across Jos North, Jos South, Riyom, Barkin Ladi, and other LGAs. However, history will remember how the Southern Plateau LGAs – Langtang North, Langtang South, Shendam, Wase, and Quanpan – chose the first line of defence through homegrown security initiatives and community-led vigilance.
“The people of these LGAs united across tribe and faith to defend their dignity and heritage. Through self-organisation and traditional security systems, they smoked out attackers and reclaimed peace – a peace not brokered from Abuja, but birthed from within. This is a Plateau solution to a Plateau-rooted problem, and it must now be replicated across board if peace is truly the goal.
“In Azare, Bauchi State, a similar tale unfolded. When Boko Haram insurgents attacked their town, the people rallied themselves and flushed them out. No federal battalion came to save them. It was people power, local knowledge, and courage that secured Azare. The same can and must happen in Plateau.
“Reports Gathering Dust, Criminals Walking Free
“It is a betrayal of justice that despite numerous white papers and reports from Judicial Commissions of Inquiry indicting individuals behind these crises, no implementation has followed. Instead, the indicted walk free, might contest elections, hold public office, and continue to enable violence. Even those arrested and paraded with dangerous weapons are either released through compromised criminal justice or corrupt law enforcement procedures.
“This failure to enforce justice has emboldened killers. Each unpunished massacre becomes a licence for the next. What we are witnessing is not a “conflict,” it is genocidal killings enabled by impunity.
“Governor Mutfwang’s Scary Revelation
“We are appalled by Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s shocking revelations that over 64 communities have been taken over by terrorists. The discovery of ISWAP cells operating in Plateau State represents an alarming expansion of Nigeria’s insurgency problem into the North-Central region.
“Security forces under Operation Safe Haven, OPSH, recently arrested two suspected ISWAP members during a sting operation in Shendam LGA of Plateau. These men, both 25 years old, had disguised themselves as local tailors while secretly working to establish an ISWAP base in the state.
“Preliminary investigations revealed they were acting on directives from an ISWAP commander to set up new terrorist cells in Plateau and neighbouring Bauchi State. This confirms that ISWAP, a jihadist group originally centred in the Lake Chad and North East region, is actively seeking to expand its footprint into the Middle Belt.
“The implications are grave – an area already plagued by banditry and communal strife now faces the added threat of a well-organised Islamist insurgency. Unlike sporadic herder-farmer clashes, ISWAP brings sophisticated terror tactics, ideological extremism, and potential links to international terror networks.
“The mere presence of ISWAP operatives on Plateau soil is enough to unsettle the region. It raises fears that bombings, kidnappings, or coordinated terrorist attack tactics seen in Nigeria’s North East could occur in Plateau communities that have thus far not experienced such insurgent violence. In short, this intelligence of ISWAP’s presence injects a new, frightening element into Plateau’s security crisis – one that could dramatically escalate violence if left unchecked.
“Kaduna Declaration or Kaduna Distraction?
“We are equally disturbed by a recent gathering in Kaduna where a group claiming to represent Fulani interests declared a “condition for peace” in Plateau State. We ask:
“If they are truly from Plateau, why did they not hold this gathering in Jos, Plateau?
Why are people who claim to be victims demanding pre-conditions before peace?
“This is not negotiation. It is extortion veiled in ethnic entitlement.
“This is Not Farmers vs Herders, It Is Genocide
“Let us be clear: this is no farmers-herders clash. What is happening in Plateau is systematic ethnic cleansing and a genocidal project. The targeted nature of the attacks, the patterns of displacement, and the Governor’s own revelation that 64 communities have been taken over by terrorists all point to a deliberate plan to wipe out indigenous communities and occupy ancestral lands.
“To twist these facts is to embolden evil.
“What We Demand
“The Movement for the Emancipation of Nigeria demands the following:
“Immediate establishment and funding of a Plateau-wide Vigilante System under community control and traditional institutions.
“Full implementation of all white papers and commission reports related to the Plateau crisis.
“The reclamation of all 64 communities reportedly taken over by terrorists, with displaced persons returned under security guarantees.
“Sanctions against individuals and groups issuing inciting statements outside the state, aimed at legitimising terrorism.
“Our Final Word
“MEN is watching. Plateau will not walk alone. Nigeria must not continue down this path of state-enabled ethnic cleansing while masquerading as democracy.
“We call on all oppressed Nigerians, regardless of tribe or religion, to rise in defence of truth, justice, and our shared humanity.
“Peace is not a gift from government – it is a right of the people.
“We will speak. We will stand. And we will not be silenced.”
SOLOMON DALUNG Esq
COMRADE-GENERAL
Movement for the Emancipation of Nigeria (MEN)
National Headquarters, Abuja
April 14th, 2025
Attacks in Plateau State communities most recently spread from Bokkos LGA to Bassa LGA. Residents keep complaining of “no response from security agencies during the attacks”.
