Jos: Will military intervention stop bloodshed?

Last Sunday’s explosion, which left no casualty in its trail, however saw the federal government coming out with a very drastic action, different from the mere assurances of the past about “brining the perpetrators to book.”   Military sources who spoke with Weekly Trust suggest that with the announcement, all the security outfits operating in […]

Last Sunday’s explosion, which left no casualty in its trail, however saw the federal government coming out with a very drastic action, different from the mere assurances of the past about “brining the perpetrators to book.”

 

Military sources who spoke with Weekly Trust suggest that with the announcement, all the security outfits operating in the state like the Army, Air Force, State Security Service (SSS) and the Police would now be under military authorities, which will take absolute control of security there. Many people have welcomed the order, including the Plateau State government, but still wonder if the approach is what is needed to bring lasting peace.

The military has been in Jos since 2008 when the first in the series of the recent crises broke out. But at that time it was under the command of the General Officer Commanding the 3rd Armored Division in Rukuba, Major-General Saleh Maina, who was given orders to take over the state’s internal security.

Maina had then explained that this meant everything about the internal security of the state will be under his command, as he said even the police  would have to excuse themselves from certain duties, as the operation was going to be entirely a military affair. There was a public outcry against this and  a coalition of civil society organizations led by Dr. Tor Iorappu opposed the arrangement  saying no law permits the military to take over the internal security of  state when there was no war, in the manner the then President Musa Yar’Adua had ordered the military to do.

Later, when some villages surrounding Jos were attacked and over a hundred were killed in a night raid, even with the presence of the military, the opposition to military presence in Plateau grew fiercer as the GOC was accused of taking sides in the matter, given that he is a Muslim. To remove such assumptions, the federal government then designed the Special Task Force (STF) with the special mandate to handle all security matters in the state, separating it with the office of the GOC, who, before then was the supervising authority.

The STF combined men of all the military outfits and the police as was reporting to the Chief of Defense Staff. Later, when the attacks on villages continued, the military was accused directly of not only looking the other way when the attackers came, but was said to have taken part in some of the attacks.

The identity cards of some officers were said to have been found on some scenes of violence and the people intensified their campaign against the presence of the military with women sometimes at the forefront. The result was that the military had to withdraw from many of the villages in Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Jos South local government as they were clearly told that they were not wanted.

The state governor, Dr. Jonah Jang applied to the president to set up his own security outfit and it was approved. He later did so and named it ‘Operation Rainbow’ and named a retired Air Vice Marshal to head it. Operation Rainbow had hardly commenced operation when the recent killings at the mosque on Rukuba Road and subsequent ones in about four villages happened. The Sunday explosion was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

With the recent order, it is not clear how different the military takeover of security is going to be from that of the past but with the acceptance of the measure by the state government which has been a major voice against the continuous presence of the military, many have expressed hope that the attitude of the people may change and that the cooperation may encourage the military to discharge their duties effectively.

Director of Centre for Advocacy Justice and Rights, Comrade Peter Gad Shamaki said the crises in Plateau State are a result of lack of sincerity and political will to settle the current problems. But he hopes the arrangement is going to work out as expected if the Chief of Defense Staff going to relocate to Jos. Shamaki said instead of military action, he thought the president would have been talking of implementing the reports of the past commissions of inquiries on Jos, while the issue of peace should be discussed more with the people.

Former Minister for Sports, Chief Damishi Sango, said what is required is for the all the parties in the dispute to be prepared to live with one another in peace, as the military can only put out a fight but cannot force people to live together.

The council of Ulaama, Plateau State Chapter, said government intervention is timely and one that would go a long way in resolving the seemingly persistent crises. The council’s Plateau State spokesman, Alhaji Sani Mudi said while the decision to hand over the security of the state to the Chief of Defense Staff may solve the problem for a while, it may not go far enough to heal the wounds or guarantee that there won’t be hostilities when the military leave.

Mudi said implementing the recommendations of all the panels set up by the federal government on the Jos crises like the General Emmanuel Abisoye panel and the Chief Solomon Lar presidential committee which addressed the root causes of the problems in Plateau would no doubt bring lasting peace to the state.

Former governor of Plateau State, Chief Fidelis Tapgun said there’s no option to the measure taken by the federal government as almost every effort put in place in the past has failed leading to incessant crises and killings in the state. “It is a wise decision taken by the federal government to bring lasting peace to the state.”

Tapgun said in implementing recommendations of past panels, those indicted should be punished so as to serve as deterrent to others adding that a situation where people who have been indicted are moving freely encourages a culture of impunity.

Also, commenting, Second Republic Deputy Senate President, Senator John Wash Pam said some soldiers that are under the STF have already allowed themselves to be used in carrying out attacks in the rural areas. He added: “I know the CDS, he is a no-nonsense man, he will deal with the situation accordingly without bias.”

The Plateau State chapter of the CPC in its reaction, faulted the military takeover of security, saying what the government has done is not new as a similar measure was taken during the administration of President Umaru Yar’Adua , when the GOC of the 3rd Armoured Division was asked to oversee security matters but said the measure did not go far. State Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Jamilu Baba said the measure in not enough as it does not have the capacity to thoroughly review the situation on ground.

Earlier, the Plateau State government had described the measure taken by the federal government directing the military takeover of security in Plateau State as a welcome development, saying it would encourage any measure put in place to restore peace in the state. Special Adviser on Media to the Plateau State Governor, Ayuba Dangwong, said government will cooperate with the CDS. But the order is yet to take effect five days after it was given, even though the federal government said it was going to be immediate.