Amid escalating violence in Plateau State, where over 100 residents have been brutally killed within two weeks, prominent Christian cleric Isa El-buba has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on security.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Inside Sources, El-buba described the attacks as a clear declaration of war by bloodthirsty marauders.
The violence, concentrated in the Bokkos and Bassa local government areas, has triggered national and international outrage.
These latest attacks represent the worst since the Christmas Eve massacre in Bokkos in 2023, which claimed approximately 150 lives.
El-buba backed Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s recent characterization of the killings as genocide, warning that the situation poses a grave threat to the unity of Nigeria.
“It’s a big concern because just like the governor said it’s genocide, and it’s not something that just happened today; it’s something that has been happening with several attacks in the past before the recent ones on the Plateau,” he said.
“Plateau is a cosmopolitan city. It houses virtually all Nigerians. And if anything goes wrong with Plateau, everything goes wrong with Nigeria.”
Drawing from his experience with similar tragedies, the cleric recalled past atrocities such as the massacre in Dogo Nahawa, where over 500 people were killed and their land seized by the attackers.
“Of the over 60 communities that were attacked, the attackers killed the people, displaced the people, destroyed the property of the people, and occupied those communities,” El-buba stated.
“This tells you a lot about what these people are up to.”
He emphasized that the pattern of invasion, destruction, and occupation has continued for years and that the perpetrators are not unknown.
“It’s not that these people are not known; these people are known – they are there,” he stressed.
El-buba accused past administrations of enabling the attackers by turning a blind eye and allowing them to operate with impunity.
“These people felt it was their government, they felt they were being supported and protected. And you see them move with arms. I raised an alarm,” he said.
Citing instances in Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, and Zamfara, the cleric pointed out that similar methods and actors are involved in attacks across various states.
“We have to call a spade a spade. Right now, in this country, and I’m being sincere, 80% of the terrorists displacing people from their communities disguised as herders and the language they speak is Fulani; not Kanuri, not Igbo, not Yoruba,” he asserted.
He insisted that decisive military action must replace dialogue with those responsible for the violence.
“You don’t negotiate with people who have come to wipe away your citizens. But rather, you wipe away these people who have come to wipe away your people,” El-buba declared.
He advocated for the full involvement of local communities, backed by the government, to lead the fight.
“Just give the locals the right, liberty, and then the backing of the military to move in there, take sentiments out of it. These are people who have declared war, they have declared war on the people,” he said.
The cleric also responded to President Tinubu’s recent claim that he had advised the governor on steps to take.
“The first thing is that President Bola Tinubu is the commander-in-chief. I appreciate Governor Caleb Mutfwang; he is the chief security officer of the state but I tell you the truth: state governors are limited,” he said.
He emphasized that the president must take personal responsibility and visit the affected areas.
“Since this thing has happened, the president has not visited. He should come down himself… I expected that the president at this point would come down here, even for a few hours, and instruct that these communities should be taken over in 24 hours,” El-buba said.
He concluded with a firm appeal to the president.
“The president should come down here and declare a state of emergency on security. If he does, we will get this matter done in 72 hours. Terrorists don’t repent.”
“They can surrender because they have been overpowered… clear them and wipe them out, or else you will continue to waste your resources trying to secure your people.”
