Following the recent killings in Plateau state, Chris Smith, a member of the US House of Representatives, has accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect its citizens and hold offenders accountable.
On August 16, about 45 residential shelters and a significant amount of crops were destroyed in the Jwak Maitumbi community, Mangu LGA of Plateau, where several people who were thought to be Fulani were killed.
In what seemed to be retaliation, a suspected Fulani militia invaded the Bin-Per community in Mangu’s Kombun district less than 48 hours later and killed at least 23 people, including women and children.
In a statement on Friday, Smith called on the Nigerian government to take immediate action to protect Christian communities and bring the perpetrators of the attacks to justice.
“Despite denials by Nigerian government actors, Christians continue to be slaughtered while Nigerian officials fail to provide adequate protection or hold the perpetrators accountable,” Smith said.
“Enough is enough. The Nigerian government must fulfill its most basic responsibility of protecting its citizens.”
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According to the statement, Smith spoke alongside Frank Garcia, assistant secretary of state for African affairs, who urged the Nigerian government “to meet their commitments to protect Christian communities and to hold perpetrators of violence accountable”.
“The U.S. State Department’s recent public message underscores the urgent need for concrete action—not more assurances—as deadly violence continues to devastate vulnerable communities,” the statement quoted Smith as saying.
“Instead of spending millions of dollars—$9 million, to be exact—in an attempt to improve its image in Washington, the Nigerian government should redirect those resources towards protecting its people and addressing this grave security crisis.”
The government must recognize the urgency of the situation and take decisive action to better protect its citizens. It is essential that they strengthen security measures, promote dialogue, and implement effective policies to prevent further violence. The safety and well-being of the people should always be a top priority, and it’s time for the government to do better in safeguarding its citizens and ensuring peace in the region.
