Democracy Day: Group Urges Tinubu to Commission Impartial Review of Plateau Atrocities

The Plateau State chapter of the Take It Back Movement is urging President Bola Tinubu’s administration to commission a fully independent and transparent probe into the series of mass killings and forced displacements across the state.

They insist that the National Human Rights Commission should oversee the investigation.

State Coordinator John Onah, alongside other chapter leaders, delivered the call during a press briefing in Jos marking Democracy Day 2025.

According to Onah: “Amnesty International Nigeria reports that at least 2,630 lives have been lost in Plateau State since this government took office two years ago.”

He continued, “Across Nigeria, more than 10,217 individuals have been victims of rampant violence. Armed groups have razed 672 villages across Benue, Niger, and Plateau States.”

“Those figures reflect more than statistics; they represent shattered lives, broken dreams, and devastated families.”

He warned of a severe humanitarian emergency: “Whole communities have been uprooted, schools are deserted, and thousands of internally displaced persons are surviving without food, shelter, or medical care.”

“In Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Riyom, and Bokkos LGAs alone, over 150,000 people have been driven from their homes since President Tinubu and Governor Caleb Mutfwang assumed office,” he added.

Demands to the Federal Government

The group has outlined the following urgent actions:

• Deploy intelligence-led security operations immediately to vulnerable LGAs in Plateau.
• Launch coordinated humanitarian efforts to support displaced communities with food, shelter, and healthcare.
• Invest in the rehabilitation of razed villages and rebuild livelihoods to forestall further violence.
• Initiate a transparent, independent investigation, under the National Human Rights Commission, into all mass killing and displacement incidents.

Demands to Plateau State Authorities

They further recommend:

• Provide funding and empowerment for local peace commissions, vigilante groups, and community-based security, including the outfitting of Operations Rainbow.
• Offer regular public briefings on investigation and justice processes.
• Include IDPs and survivors in recovery planning, trauma counseling, and school reintegration efforts.

Message to Security Agencies

The group urges:

• Enhanced coordination and intelligence intelligence gathering to prevent future attacks.
• Accountability for officers in cases of negligence or complicity.

Call to Civil Society and Media

They emphasize:

• Elevate the voices of survivors, displaced persons, and local leaders.
• Scrutinize public officials by tracking budget implementation, policy fulfillment, and security responses.
• Push for justice, equality, and peace, even when it challenges the status quo.

Despite the grave situation, the group asserts it isn’t beyond remedy: “We speak today not to sow despair, but to catalyze urgent, responsible action. The Take It Back Movement remains steadfast in its commitment to defend democracy, justice, and human dignity.”