Group pushes for state of emergency in Benue, others

The Coalition of Northern Groups has asked the Federal Government, to suspend all existing political structures in Benue, Taraba, Kaduna and Plateau states and appoint sole administrators until the Fulani herdsmen’s killings are brought to an end.

Abdulazeez Suleiman, the spokesman of the coalition, said this at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday. He also called for the declaration of state of emergency in the states.

“We call on the Federal Government to declare state of emergency in the frontline states of Taraba, Kaduna, Benue and Zamfara and suspend the current political structures in those states and replace them with sole administrators until conditions improve,” he said.

Suleiman said while the coalition condemned the actions of all criminal gangs under any guise, it emphatically repudiated the vilification of one ethnic and religious group or the other for whatever reason.

The group noted that the Federal Government should take the blame for failing to act promptly when the crisis started. It blamed its slow response to skirmishes for the escalation of the conflict which is currently threatening national security. Members of the coalition demanded that government must bring all the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to book no matter how highly placed.

On the issue of state police, the group said, “We vehemently reject recent calls for the establishment of state police, which obviously is a recipe for disaster.

It also said the country may have to conduct a referendum to decide if its several units want to remain together.