Plateau lawmaker accused of politicizing killings wants herdsmen treated as terrorists

A call has been made by a member of the House of Representatives to the Federal Government to treat killer Fulani herdsmen as terrorist, as is the case with Boko Haram.

According to Istifanus Gyang representing Barkin Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Fulani herdsmen should be classified by the government as insurgents and should be punished as such.

Gyang made the comments while reacting to a statement by a socio-cultural organisation, the Plateau Patriotic Youth Movement.

The group had recently lamented that Gyang was playing politics with the killings in the state.

But the lawmaker stated, that “Anyone or persons saying that the attacks and killings in my constituency are a basis for partisanship and politicking must either be insane or is simply being insensitive to the bloodbath that has been witnessed all this while.

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“I take exception to such unfortunate insinuations. We must not trivialise issues that have to do with the lives of a people that are being hunted and killed as men hunting wild game. It is indeed sad and very unfortunate.

“Today, one quarter of Barkin Ladi LG and one third of Riyom LG are under occupation by the very persons that were welcomed and accommodated by their Berom hosts. The narrative that the attacks are simply conflicts between farmers and herdsmen is no longer tenable.

“The truth is that there is a quest by the herdsmen to forcefully acquire land and territory for occupation. Under this unfortunate development, the Nigerian state and government, which have the constitutional responsibility of protecting citizens from aggression have left the victims at the mercy of the marauding herdsmen. These attacks have to be profiled and classified as acts of insurgency and treated with the same response as Boko Haram has been handled.”

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