The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) branches on the Plateau have called on the federal government to empower communities to defend themselves in the face of continued attacks in Bokkos and Bassa local government areas of Plateau State.
BusinessDay reports that, the branches compromises of Jos, Pankshin, Bukuru and Shendam.
Leah Dalung Hassan, a lawyer and the chairman NBA Jos branch who read the text on behalf of other branches at a press conference on Tuesday in Jos, lamented the failure of existing security structures to protect lives and property.
The NBA emphasised that the people of Plateau State can no longer remain helpless while violent attackers continue to invade communities at night, killing innocent citizens and occupying their ancestral lands.
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“The Communities be allowed to defend themselves; we therefore demand that the Federal Government empower vulnerable communities with self-defence mechanisms and equipment since the Security Personnel we have are not enough to secure our lives”.
The NBA decried the attacks as not merely communal clashes but calculated efforts to displace and eliminate peaceful residents.
They described the killings as a gross violation of the Nigerian Constitution, particularly the right to life, and a direct threat to the country’s unity and justice system.
“The continued bloodletting in Plateau State, under the guise of communal crises, must no longer be treated with indifference or vague promises. The slogan should no longer be “Enough is enough”, but it should be “This is Enough; let’s stand up and take action”, the NBA stated.
