Razaky

The Plateau State Government cannot continue to pretend that violence becomes a crisis only when there is a reprisal. The most disturbing part of the worsening insecurity in Plateau is not only the killings themselves, but the selective outrage and apparent institutional silence that follows them. When Fulani civilians are killed in their hamlets, the response from government often appears muted, or completely absent. But the moment there is a reprisal, the government suddenly finds its voice, its condemnation becomes loud, and the incident becomes the centre of attention. Thats when everybody wants America and Isreal to know. That is a dangerous double standard. A government cannot afford to treat the death of one community as routine while treating the death of another as a national emergency. Every innocent life lost in Plateau should carry the same weight, whether the victim is Fulani, Berom, Mwaghavul, Hausa or any other community. The continued silence surrounding attacks on Fulani communities is particularly dangerous because it creates the perception that some victims do not matter. Once communities begin to believe that government will not protect them or seek justice for them, they naturally lose confidence in the state. And that is where the cycle of violence becomes almost impossible to stop. Government cannot condemn the fire while ignoring who lit the match. It is unacceptable for authorities to condemn reprisal attacks without equally confronting the attacks that preceded them. You cannot keep condemning the smoke while refusing to investigate the fire. If a farmer is killed, arrest the killers. If a herder is killed, arrest the killers. If a village is attacked, investigate it. If livestock are destroyed deliberately, investigate it. If innocent civilians are massacred, bring those responsible to justice. The identity of the victim should never determine the urgency of the government’s response. Silence is not neutrality The state government’s apparent reluctance to speak forcefully when Fulani civilians are killed is not helping reconciliation. If anything, it risks convincing affected communities that they have been abandoned. That perception is combustible. A government that genuinely wants peace must be prepared to tell its own supporters uncomfortable truths. It must condemn wrongdoing even when the perpetrators come from communities considered politically sympathetic. Leadership is not defending your people when they are right. Leadership is confronting them when they are wrong too. Anything less is political convenience masquerading as peacebuilding. The Plateau Government should wake up before the situation deteriorates further. Every unresolved killing becomes another grievance. Every unpunished attack becomes another justification for revenge. Every selective statement from government deepens suspicion. And eventually, the state risks becoming an observer in a conflict it has a constitutional duty to prevent. It is not the responsibility of the Military alone all the time. The government must stop waiting for reprisals before becoming interested in violence. @DHQNigeria @HQNigerianArmy