Director, Department of State Services, Mr. Yusuf Bichi
By M. Peter – Jos
Member representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam federal constituency in the National Assembly, Yusuf Gagdi has called for the scrutiny of activities of some non-governmental organisations operating in the North East as he suspects some level of connivance with the activities of members of the Boko Haram sect.
Gagdi also expressed worry over what he termed “international conspiracy” which he said has caused the insurgency to fester in the region.”
He who spoke while reacting to the killing of one of his constituent, Ropvil Dalep, a 200L student of University of Maiduguri by members of the sect noted that it appears the terrorists are now focusing on Plateau citizens as a target for some sinister agenda which could put the country in a religious disharmony.
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According to him, “With a heavy heart, I address you concerning the deplorable state of security in our dear country and its devastating consequences on the lives and property of the entire citizenry, with particular reference to my constituency and Plateau state as a whole, which if not checked, will threaten the harmonious coexistence of faiths and ethnic diversities in the state.
“We woke up in the morning of Tuesday, 21st January, 2020 to the gory video of the gruesome execution of Daciya Ropvil Dalep, my constituent, and a 200 level Biology/Education student of University of Maiduguri, who was abducted on the 9th of January 2020 by Boko Haram insurgents on his way to school from Jos.
“This unfortunate incident occurred when we were exploring lobbying mechanisms for Federal and State Government’s intervention for the release of one Bashir Abdulhamid, a native of Kanam LGA of Plateau State, and also my constituent, who was abducted by Boko Haram insurgents on 4th December, 2019 at Gambu, while on his way to Maiduguri to take polio specimen for experimentation. Bashir is an adhoc staff of the World Health Organization, who is still being held in Boko Haram captivity.
“These two unfortunate incidences involving my constituents within the span of one month have left me devastated, wondering if the efforts of the federal government in curbing the menace of terrorism in the country are yielding the desired results.”
He recalled that “Not long ago, a similar video of the gory killing of two Plateau citizens from Mangu local government area was released by the insurgents with similar message of their intention to continually abduct and kill in like manner Christian citizens of Plateau State. Two other constituents of mine were also ambushed and killed along Maiduguri-Damaturu road by Boko Haram on 23rd December, 2019. They are Dauda Gojang Gaskiya of Kazuk village and Joseph Wutuk of Amper village, both in Kanke LGA. May their souls rest in peace with the lord, amen!
“As the representative of the good people of Pankshin, Kanke and Kanam Local Government Areas in National Assembly, I found this act of the Boko Haram insurgents as not only condemnable but it is devilish. It is a bad tone that is capable of igniting religious conflagration between Muslims and Christians citizens of Plateau state and Nigeria as a country.
“While I challenge the federal government to go beyond lip service to guarantee the safety of Nigerians anywhere within the country, I passionately appeal to the Executive Governor of Plateau State to, as a matter of urgency, set up a machinery in motion by considering the appointment of a delegation to visit the executive Governor of Borno State and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri to elicit a convincing plan of action by the government of the state and the school management, of guaranteeing the safety of Christian Plateau students studying in the state.
“Otherwise, I would strongly advocate that negotiations with JAMB, University of Jos and Plateau State University Bokkos as well as other institutions within the north central be held with the view to securing admission for them outside the northeast, where activities of the insurgents is most prevalent. This is because; since the insurgents have made it categorically clear that they are looking out for Christian citizens of Plateau State to kill, the last could not have been heard of such gruesome murder of our dear Plateau brothers and sisters. Only the living go to school, we cannot afford to continue to loose our loved ones in their prime to the nefarious activities of those daredevils.”
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However, the family of late Ropvil has tasked the federal government on stabilizing the security situation in the country to give every citizen a sense of safety wherever they reside.
It would be recalled that 22 years old Ropvil was abducted on January 9, 2020 while returning to school and was killed by a child Boko Haram soldier earlier this week, the video which has gone viral on the internet.
Reacting to the killing of Ropvil, his uncle, Da David Daciyar who spoke on behalf of the family called on government to get to the root of the issues which are causing terrorist attacks in the North East.
“We appeal to the government for action because the statement that was made in the video is quite touching. If an eight years old child can tell the whole world that they are revenging what Plateau had done to their forefathers in Borno which I don’t know apart from hearing from him, I have never heard of it. An eight years old boy cannot say that, some elderly people have incited him to do it.
“We are in the last days; we are not trying to provoke anybody but our prayer as a family is that God should touch our leaders otherwise all our people from Plateau will not be able to travel to Maiduguri or Borno in general because that statement has made it known that anybody who is going there would be killed if they know that you are from Plateau. Our appeal as a family is that government should do something to stabilize what is happening, we pray that God will see us through.”
Also reacting, Senator Istifanus Gyang representing Plateau North in the National Assembly said Plateau is being isolated for persecution stressing, “Given the repeated targeting of Plateau sons and daughters for abduction and annihilation by the Boko Haram, for no other reason that their faith and origin, it is obvious that a new narrative aimed at isolating Nigerian citizens of Plateau origin for persecution and extermination is being projected by the terrorists.”
“This defective and hateful narrative is not only misplaced but is simply an attempt by Boko Haram to deflect and shift attention from its bloodletting acts of crimes against humanity.”
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