By Ibrahim Abdul
Following recent leaked letter by Taraba state government asking the State Police command to release arrested members of a local militia allegedly responsible for the killings of Fulanis on Mambila Plateau in Sardauna Local Government Fulani elders warns preferential treatment and call for justice.
The elders also denied insinuations been peddled that Fulani community has reached a peace deal with perpetrators of the Mambilla attacks.
Speaking to newsmen in Jalingo, Ahmadu Bello chairman Miyetti Allah In Sardauna local branch said that the concerned Fulani elders regrets that while many killed and arrests made, the state government will turn to ask for the release of suspected militias.
‘’ As we are talking there were pockets of silent killings; up to today the Mambilla militia is still carrying out isolated cases of cattle rustling, killing of our cows, harvesting our crops, cutting and burning down our eucalyptus tree forests while our people cannot travel through Mambilla communities without being attacked and molested.
‘’ We wish to place on record that very recently the militia laid a siege on Dorofi, some suspects were arrested and released without bringing them to book. Also in Maisamari an unauthorized cultural festival was forced on non Mambilla residents by the notorious militia. This led to the death of three persons and six others injured.
‘’A Shepherd of Ardo Mbamnga and another one in Leme were murdered by suspected Mambilla militia. The offence of one of them was for testifying before a court of law against a Mambilla suspect.
‘’As these were going on unabated, the suspects, some of whom were earlier arrested but later set free on the orders of the State Government, are busy boasting on the streets that they can kill anybody and go scot free,’’ said he.
Also corroborating another leader AbdulMumini Umar denied any ‘’peace deal’ reached, as according to him ,’’ we strongly view this false insinuations as another sponsored attempt by our aggressors to escape arrest with the intention to twist the arm of justice and evade prosecution.
‘’So as to deny the families of those who were murdered, victims whose houses were burnt down, livestock farmers whose cows were killed and thousands of IDPs and Refugees that were still languishing in neighbouring Cameroun Republic of justice.’’
It could be recalled that in a leaked letter, the state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Yusufu Akirikwen, had asked the State Police command to release arrested members of a local militia allegedly responsible for the killings of Fulanis on Mambila .
In the letter to the commissioner of police, dated September 8, 2017, Mr Akirikwen faulted the arrest of the suspected members of the militia.
“Reports and/or complaints reaching my office, of recent, indicate that following the aftermath of the communal crisis on the Mambilla Plateau of Sardauna Local Government Area which broke out between 17th-20th June, 2017, incessant, indiscriminate arrests, detention and prosecution of perceived suspects alleged to be involved in the said crisis is said to be carried out by your office,” the letter read.
According to him, since judicial commission of inquiry was instituted, and they were making enquiry on the issue, the arrests were “contempt and contradictory” to the judicial principle.
The commissioner, therefore, directed the commissioner to immediately release the suspects and withdraw charges against them.
“In view of the above circumstances and the interest of public peace and harmonious co-existence, it is my candid advice that all suspects in your custody and/or arraigned before the court(s) be forthwith released from detention, and all charges or First Information Reports brought against them withdrawn,” the letter said.
When contacted on phone by newsmen ,the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Taraba State, he neither confirmed nor denied writing the letter, but insisted that he will call back.
