Plateau Violence: Lawmaker Blames Religious Leaders

The deputy speaker of the Plateau state house of assembly, Yusuf Gagdi has blamed religious leaders in the state for the violence that has characterised the state for sometime now.

Plateau state govenor, Simon Lalong

According to Gagdi, one of the reasons the consistent ethno-religious crisis in Plateau state has not been resolved is because the religious leaders in the state do not tell themselves the truth.
Gagdi made the remarks while addressing journalists about the assembly’s committee on peace and security, which he heads.

He said: “It is obvious that most religious leaders are hiding the truth about Plateau crisis. What a Jamaatu Nasiru Islam (JNI) official will tell you in the absence of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) members, (he) will not say same in the presence of CAN; same also applies to (officials of) CAN.” 
The deputy speaker also said the crisis still exists because most people have lost confidence in security officials, adding that his committee at some point, had to demand the redeployment of some security officials.
“As a committee, if we discover that people of a particular community no longer have confidence in a security official, we meet the head of such security outfit for redeployment,” he said.
He also stated that the loss of influence by traditional rulers has also made the crisis continue.


“…we have discovered that traditional institutions are not in control of their subjects,” he said.
According to Premium Times, he also sighted said non-adherence to rule of law as one of the factors causing the crisis.
He said:“One of the major reason for the trouble between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in the state is due to cultivation of grazing routes by farmers, and the continued destruction of farm produce by cows belonging to herdsmen.”
The lawmaker also frowned at unnecessary barricade of roads by communities describing it as “another security treat.”

Meanwhile, the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed shock over the sudden death of its governorship flag-bearer in Plateau state, Senator Gyang Pwajok.
Born on March 15, 1966, in Jos, Plateau state, Gyang Nyam Shom, Pwajok, popularly referred to as “G.N.S” based on his initials, lived a greater part of his childhood in the city.