National President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, BYM, Barr. Solomon Dalyop Mwantiri has charged youths in crisis-prone communities, especially in the Barkin Ladi local government area of Plateau State, to rise up and defend their people by all means whenever Fulani bandits and terrorists launch attacks on them.
Mwantiri, who gave the charge in a fiery speech during the mass burial of the 12 miners who were gruesomely murdered by gunmen at a mining site at Ratoso community in Fann District of the council on Friday, said since the federal and state governments as well as security agencies have failed to protect the people, it would be foolhardy for them to sit back and expect help and protection from any quarter.
The BYM President said since “terror begets terror”, the only option is for the youths to match the terrorists’ venom for venom.
While addressing the crowd, which consisted of the grieving families of the victims, community leaders, clergymen, and political figures, Mwantiri said the era of gathering to bury young people should come to an end as the silence of the authorities seems to be encouraging the terrorists to do more harm.
“We are here again witnessing the mass burial of our very own young people that I believe had very bright futures, people that were not beggars, people that were living independently feeding their families.
“Today, they have been pushed by terrorist elements to the land beyond. Nobody came to console us. We are forced to console ourselves. What a country! What a season we are in!
“I call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Executive Governor of Plateau State, the Executive Chairman of Barkin Ladi local government area, all the security agencies working within and without, that we have been pushed to the wall and we will no longer take this. We will no longer tolerate this. It must end. Enough is enough,” he declared.
The BYM President noted that since the only language the attackers understand is violence, the youths should also resolve to give it back to them in equal measure.
Continuing, Mwantiri said that if the government or security agencies continue to fail in their duties, they will have no option but to take any measure to defend themselves if they are to survive.
“Two things are involved here: one, either the government rises up to the occasion and flushes out these Fulani terrorist elements that have invaded the state and made it their place of abode, or we will be left with no option but to maximally defend ourselves.
“Terror begets terror, so if we must live, the last option is that we must also subscribe to terrorism so that the government can come in to settle two terror actors that are fighting each other. And may God forbid the last option.
“But of course, if the silence on the part of the government is an encouragement to terrorism, then we have no option but to go the same way for us to live,” he said.
Addressing the clergymen and politicians who were present at the mass burial, Mwantiri said:
“Our parents in the Lord, you only climb the pulpit to preach but Today you are here to conduct the funeral service for your loved ones who were members of your church.
“To you politicians, this is not the time to play politics; it is time for our survival, and if we must survive, I beg you, bury whatever political affiliations and sentiments you have and let us unite.
“The terrorists don’t know if you are a member of the PDP, APC, APGA, or ADC. All they know is that you don’t deserve to live, and some of us have been marked to be eliminated, but we will not stop telling the truth, for the Bible says thou shalt know the truth and speak the truth, as that is what will set you free.
“And since God is the truth and He’s here with us, and witnessing this, I tell you my brethren, we must rise up.
“I wouldn’t mind if all of us came out en masse to hold a peaceful procession telling the world what is happening to us within our general area. Our fathers in the Lord, I appeal to you to champion this cause. This is not the time to play political correctness.
“To our security agents, I believe that if these dead bodies we are about to bury were Fulani people, our traditional rulers would have been arrested; our father, Rev. Dachomo, would have been invited by the presidency.
“Our people, we must rise up. And my appeal to President Donald Trump, who has offered to support Nigeria flush out these terrorist elements and the enclaves that have been established, especially on the Plateau, he should hasten the military action; otherwise, there will be no right-thinking person who will survive in Nigeria,” Mwantiri concluded.
