By Moses Gbande
There is palpable tension in Wase local government area of Plateau State, over a looming threat of attacks on the Taroh ethnic nationality by mercenaries.
The Taroh community under the aegis of NIO Wase branch in a press conversation raised this alarm on Wednesday, even as it urged the security agencies to redouble their efforts in nipping in the bud the impending threat.
Spokesman of the Association, Comrade Sunday Miri , Warns against suppressing the truth, saying that, Taroh Nation will no longer take any rumors of such magnitude for granted, owing to the previous anticidents where such rumors turned out to be true.
“you will recall that an alarm was recently raised by the Chairman of Langtang North over alleged planned attack against Taroh land. He stated how mercenaries in their numbers were already in Wase LGA and were moving toward Kadarko in Wase LGA and Langtang North to attack its Taroh population. He called on security agencies to come to the rescue of the people”.
According to Comrade Miri who is the Secretary General of the Association said, ” a week later, a response came for from some Youths in Wase condemning his utterances and called for his arrest as he was branded an agent of destabilization.
“Another group under the auspices of Plateau youth stakeholders also repeated the call by Wase youths and called the Chairman names. Security matters turned into politics.
” As a body, we watch closely and we are monitoring events as they unfold. About a month ago, after dispelling the rumors, incident of kidnapping happened around Gimba-pin axis in which a fulani house wife was kidnapped with her child by these same mercenaries or bandits. Attempts by local vigilantes and locals to rescue the woman led to several deaths”.
He called on the security agencies to step up strategies not to allow another bandits’ threat to occur around the area, expressing fears that it could result to another ethno-religious crisis in Wase and southern zone of Plateau State at large.
“We are happy that the Chairman of the council and the Emir of Was did not hide anything about the activities of their bandits.
” The security agencies, we learned were able to make some arrest and even recovered some stolen items. We implore them to sustain the momentum and to ensure that no bandit(s) exist within Pinauanf Bangalala axis.
” We are very suspicious that the (bandits) have established bases along the Plateau/ Taraba border”.
He however called on the communities living along the areas, especially the Taroh speaking tribe to cooperate with the security forces by giving them useful information to enable them effectively contain the growing menace of bandits in Wase LGA.
While assuring that Tarih community will rest at nothing to expose any strange character in their domains to the security, the association equally called in government to support the security personnel by adequately providing them necessary assistance to enable them execute their roles effectively.
Nasarawa Reporters 