THE Plateau State Christian Elders Consultative Forum has called on the vice-president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, the National Assembly and the United Nations

(UN) to investigate Major General Sale Maina, the GOC, 3rd Armoured Division, Jos, over allegations of genocide.

The  forum also insisted that General Maina must  face charges of genocide in an international court of justice for his alleged role in the religious crisis in Jos.In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday and captioned “We Want Major General Maina to face charges of genocide over Jos,” the Christian elders also called  for a joint patrol of the police and the military in Jos as against the military- only patrols ordered by General Maina, in the interest of national security.

The forum accused General Maina of using his official position to organise the killings of Christians in the latest crisis in Jos.The forum had accused the Nigerian Army last week of genocide, and killing of Christians in the Jos crisis, but became specific on Sunday by accusing the GOC of the 3rd Amoured Division, Jos, of genocide.

The statement, signed by the National Coordinator of the Christian Elders Forum, Bishop Andersen Bok, and the Secretary, Dr Musa Pam, further accused General Maina of using only soldiers, who were Muslims in the crisis, rather than mixing both Christians and Muslims, in the patrol team in Jos, thus deliberately orchestrating the killing of Christians by the soldiers.

The forum noted: “We acknowledge the semblance of peace returning to Jos city after one-week killing and mayhem but reject the efforts to militarise the state by withdrawing the police and imposing the army.
“Only last week, we raised the alarm over the activities of the soldiers in Jos city under the watchful eyes and command of a man who was a former aide to General Muhammadu Buhari and now the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 3rd Armoured Division in Jos, Major General Sale Maina.

“For whatever hidden agenda, Major General Maina has used his official position to organise the killing of Christians in this latest crisis in Jos. Instead of Major General Maina mixing Christian soldiers with their Muslim counterparts in each patrol team, he has chosen to select only Muslim soldiers in patrol teams with the sole aim of carrying out a jihad. “

The statement added: “These all-Muslim patrol teams are killing our people every day. Only yesterday, Saturday 23rd January, 2010, a young boy was gunned down in front of his father’s house by members of this all-Muslim army patrol team in Tundun Wada area in Jos city, without any reason at about 6 p.m. These vengeful actions of the Muslim soldiers may spark fresh tensions and violence in Plateau State.

“We hereby call on our respected Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Assembly and the UN to investigate Major General Maina and let him face charges of genocide in an international court of justice. We also call for a joint patrol of police and military as against the only-military patrols currently being organised by the power-hungry Major General Maina for the interest of national security.

“The issue of the 26 mercenaries caught in the wake of last year’s crisis is still fresh in our memories. And, again, Major General Maina is demanding that the 60 persons arrested in this crisis be handed over to him. We ask, for what? As long as human lives are being used in this game of ethno-religious politics, there can never be genuine peace in the state and in the country. We call on the National Assembly to investigate the case of 26 mercenaries caught in the Jos crisis last year and allow the rule of law to prevail if they hold tenaciously to what they have sworn to.

“According to last weekend’s reports by Al-Jazeera, a well-acclaimed Islamic jihadist television network based in Dubai,  over 150 Muslims have been killed in the recent Jos crisis. Though the television network footage did not show more than a few corpses, we ask how the corpses were recovered by the alleged fleeing Muslims in the heat of the crisis.

“Why did the reporter flown into Nigeria from overseas not seek to find out from the Christians’ side to ascertain their casualties and balance their reports? And who was the Senator Luca Gowon, the presenter called on the video-phone for a live interview?

“We make bold to state that there is no name like Senator Luca Gowon in Nigeria, not to talk of Plateau State and there has never been one. This goes to confirm that the whole Al-Jazeera report was a hoax and propaganda by those illegal occupiers of our land who have been perpetrating this religious attack on the tribes of Plateau State.

“We want the government of the Federation of Nigeria to act fast and now.”But in his reaction, Army spokesman, Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, described the allegation as unfortunate.He said that military operations did not allow discriminations as all soldiers available when the incident occurred were mobilised.

“The GOC is just to give orders to be carried out by his subordinates,” he said. Meanwhile, there were indications on Sunday that the 35 state governors may visit the crisis-ridden Jos tomorrow. The visit of the governors, it was gathered, will afford them the opportunity to meet with the indigenes of their various states, assess the level of damage and what they can do collectively, to bring succour to the victims.

Comments (0)

Show/hide comments

Show/hide comment form

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment