Plateau LG Chair indicts Lalong on killing of locals

By Kingsley Chukwuka

The embattled Chairman of Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State, Hon. Ubandoma Joshua Laven has blamed governor Simon Lalong over the recent carnage  witnessed in Kanam LGA where over 150 people were killed and  closed to 5000 displaced by bandits when they invaded 8 communities and unleashed mayhem in the area.

According to him, “If the State government had responded swiftly to intelligence reports, Kanam carnage would have been averted”.

Laven alleged that, the governor failed to make judicious use of local intelligence reports at his disposal.

He added that there are always local intelligence reports from the security agencies, vigilante group, members of community policing and the community leaders prior to most of this deadly attacks that perished dozens of innocent lives in the State.

Laven stated this in an interview with newsmen on his arrival from Abuja at the Yakubu Gowon Airport Heipang, Jos where he also distanced himself from the video circulating on social media which accused him of saying he will stop a particular ethnic group from coming to campaign in Tarok land ahead of the  2023 general elections in the State.

“The responsibility of every government is to protect lives and properties. In August last year I raised alarm over terrorists camping  somewhere in Wase LGA which is a neighbor to Langtang North LGA. Four months later the Emir of Wase His Royal Highness Muhammad Haruna later confirmed that 50 percent of Wase LGA has been taken over by terrorists.”

According to Laven, the State government is not proactive in handling security issues adding that instead of calling him to ask where he got the information from they debunked his claims.

“The State government cares only when it has happened, government supposed to be proactive to prevent attacks on innocent people. In my own case, when I discovered that the terrorists have invaded our land, I worked in collaboration with the local security and they confirmed it.

“There are always security reports about the activities of terrorists in the State. For Yelwa Zangam where 29 persons were killed, there was security intelligence reports  for more than three days but no action was taken to avert the looming danger.”

“There was also intelligence reports about the attack in Mangu and the next is Langtang North. So I called all the traditional rulers, security heads in Langtang north and the local hunters group to a security meeting where we mapped out strategies and alert our people, that was what prevented what would have been a bloodbath in Tarok land in August, 2021.”

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Laven further said his proactiveness averted the looming danger that the terrorists were planning in the area.

“Four months after Wase was hit, it is now the turn of Kanam LGA were over 150 people were killed. This is because we don’t take local intelligence reports serious, we need to raise up and protect our people.”

Laven also said by law he remained the authentic Chairman of Langtang North, who was duly elected by the people as confirmed by a court of competent jurisdiction, adding that he has always been peaceful in his approach to issues even when Governor Simon Lalong denied him access to the Local Government Secretariat.

Responding to the video in circulation which he was accused of inciting a particular ethnic group against another, Laven said it was because of his love for peace that he recovered over 1000 fire arms in Langtang north LGA and handed over to governor Lalong and commander of Operation Save Haven to ensure lasting peace in the area.

“If I can recovered over 1000 weapons and the Governor and the Military came here and received them, it shows my love for peace. Now they are heightening tension in my community because that video was translated by my mischief-makers”, he said.