The Save Middle Belt Nigeria (SMBN) has condemned the killing of innocent citizens in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria by agents of the Fulani herdsmen.
The group said the killings is part of an elaborate agenda by the Fulani militia to annihilate the indigenous inhabitants of the middle belt and take over their ancestral land.
In a statement signed by its national coordinator Philip Jwan, SMBN frowned at the dare devil operations of the Fulani herdsmen and their agents, the Fulani militia, in a bid to take over the land belonging to the people of middle belt.
‘Save Middle Belt Nigeria’ also demanded that the security agencies put an end to the killing of plateau indigenes by suspected Fulani militia immediately.
The Group said the killing of 48 persons in Yelwa Zangam in Jos North, Plateau State, and Yelewta community of Guma Local Government Area of Benue will no longer be acceptable by the people of middle belt.
SMBN also frowned at the way and manner Nigeria security agencies are handling the situation in the middle belt, calling for an immediate review of the nation’s top military command structure to tackle these monsters of destruction wreaking havoc and mayhem Nigeria.
“It is quite glaring that the killings by the Fulani militia is genocidal and clearly aimed at rewriting history, annihilating and dispossessing the people of the middle belt of their land”, SMBN stated in the press release made available to newsmen.
“Henceforth, we will no longer fold our hands and watch these terrorists and bandits achieve their heinous agenda of ethnic cleansing.
“The Constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria provides a guarantee for self-defence.
“Self-defence is a constitutional right.
“Section 33(2)(a), a part of the constitution concerning right to life, provides thus:
“A person shall not be regarded as having been deprived of his life in contravention of this section, if he dies as a result of the use, to such extent and in such circumstances as are permitted by law, of such force as is reasonably necessary – (a) for the defence of any person from unlawful violence or for the defence of property.”
“Section 32(3) of the Criminal Code also provides that a person is not criminally liable for an act, when the act is reasonably necessary in order to resist actual and unlawful violence threatened to him or to another person in his presence.
“We hereby demand the immediate review of the nation’s top military command and intelligence infrastructure to tackle these atrocious monsters threatening the foundation of our great country”.