THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Plateau State Chapter, has tasked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sponsor an Executive Bill in the National Assembly to fully domicile security under the Concurrent Legislative List, giving state governors adequate command of security apparatus rather than the mere assumption of titles as “Chief Security Officers of their respective states” without a corresponding control of operations or theatre commanders.
The NBA stated that maintaining the status quo in the chain of command has proven to be unyielding in the light of recent ugly developments in the country.
The Plateau NBA, which consists of four branches — Jos, Pankshin, Bukuru and Shendam — gave the recommendation during a joint press conference held at the NUJ Secretariat in Jos on Monday.
Chairman of the NBA Jos branch, Barr. Morgan Dung, who spoke alongside chairmen of the other branches on the state of insecurity in Plateau, acknowledged Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which states that every person has a right to life and that no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in the execution of a court order in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria.
Morgan said the NBA frowns at the inability of government to prevent the continuous loss of lives and property in Nigeria and in Plateau State.
“The Nigerian Bar Association condemns, in the strongest terms, the gruesome and sustained attacks carried out on citizens on a daily basis across Plateau State, with the most recent occurring in Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Bokkos Local Government Areas of the state, which have left in their trail undesirable results.
“This painfully confirms the fact that there is insufficient commitment to constitutional responsibility.
“The unabated cycle of violence unleashed on law-abiding citizens denigrates social contracts and undermines public confidence in the state.
“It is equally disturbing that, in the wake of recent attacks and an imposition of curfew in the areas mentioned above, terrorists disrespected the curfew and freely attacked communities obeying the order.
“While communities are encouraged to be vigilant and complement the efforts of the security agencies, some community vigilantes in Kikyo village in Mangu Local Government Area were killed at their duty post by terrorists during the said curfew hours,” Morgan mentioned.
He further explained that similar ugly developments have been reported in Cantoma and Bin-Per villages in Mangu Local Government Area, as well as Kasa village, which is in Marit District in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
According to him, “This is an invitation to total anarchy and complete breakdown of law and order. The cycle of bloodletting perpetrated by these non-state actors paints a troubling picture of impunity on one part and a seeming complicity or helplessness of the state on the other.
“Garga, a community in Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State which shares boundaries with Bauchi and Taraba states, counts among other communities having their lot of woes in the hands of bandits and other criminal elements terrorising it and other parts of Plateau State, which is accountable for the loss of lives and property of citizens.
“One of the root causes of this ugly development is allegedly attributed to an invasion of some communities in Plateau State by Fulani militia from Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba states, and also from the Republic of Niger.
“When perpetrators of violence transact their stock in trade unabated and sometimes evade justice, this sends a dangerous message that human life is expendable in Nigeria and, consequently, citizens are fast losing faith in the ability of the state to protect them.
“It is also a notorious fact that some communities in Plateau State have been completely sacked over some decades and their lands forcefully grabbed, occupied and even renamed by their invaders, while their survivors remain displaced aborigines,” he posited.
The NBA also called for the reinvigoration, motivation and equipment of security agencies across formations to end the dehumanisation of citizens.
“The Armed Forces and the paramilitary should be adequately motivated, well-equipped, patriotic and disciplined across all formations and cadres to neutralise the worrisome allegations against them of bias and compromise in the course of discharging their constitutional responsibilities in Plateau State.
“Strengthening of border security: There should be strengthening of border security and surveillance across transnational and international borders.”
