Sequel to revelations that the government of Plateau State sent 300 youths to Israel to receive commando training, an Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has called on the leadership and members of the House of Representatives to probe the allegation. The group said such a probe is necessary to get to the bottom of the recurrent crisis in the state.
This was contained in a press statement issued on Saturday, 3rd February 2024 by the Executive Director of the organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
He said:
“A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Idris Ahmed Wase, alleged in 2018 that the governor of Plateau State sponsored 300 people to Israel for special commando operations.
“Those 300 people have since returned to the state and we believe that they have since been carrying out covert operations in deadly attacks on perceived enemies of Plateau indigenes, namely, Fulanis and Muslims in general. No amount of effort in the search for a solution to the crisis in Plateau State will yield positive results until the identities of the 300 men are disclosed and the group disbanded.
“Apart from the killer gang being sponsored by the government of Plateau State, there are reports of four containers imported by a security company in the state which is owned by Israel. Those containers contained dangerous weapons. We contend that those weapons have been serving as logistic compliments to the terrorist activities of the 300 trainees.
“It is equally safe to pontificate that the political leaders of Plateau State, in their search for ways to eliminate their avowed, albeit perceived antagonists, had gone to Israel and, under the guise of performing pilgrimage in Jerusalem, signed secret agreements with the Israeli government.
“This agreement resulted in the illegal training of terrorists for the Plateau State government. It is not impossible that those trained were more than 300. The training may have been in tranches, probably 300 per annum. Plateau is most probably harbouring around 1,500 well-trained terrorists whose only assignment is to kill Fulanis and Muslims at any given opportunity.
“The Nigerian security agencies may have noted the alarming speed at which every crisis escalates in the state, the professionalism and preparedness exhibited by the militia execution and the commando style of those confronted by them. This has been responsible for the large number of Fulanis and Muslims massacred in the current fighting as they were quickly surrounded from all sides.
“At present, hundreds of Fulanis and Muslims in Mangu Local Government are missing. They have been systematically and methodically cut off from Mangu. Those missing also include Muslims who are indigenes of the state. Plateau militia cannot tolerate the idea of a Plateau indigene being a Muslim.
“It is also not impossible that the idea of a pact with Israel has been sold by Plateau to other states, e.g. Benue, considering the pattern of violent clashes which usually erupt there and the discovery of training camps for armed Christian militia in Benue State.
“It is our submission that Israel may be fanning the embers of war in the Middle Belt and our security agencies need to investigate.
“Most importantly, we charge the House of Representatives to boldly assert itself by instituting a probe into circumstances surrounding the allegation made by Hon. Idris Ahmed Wase. Is it true that citizens of Plateau State were trained in Israel for armed combat? When and what number was involved? How frequent has the training been? Such a monumental allegation should not be swept under the carpet. Nigerians want the truth unearthed.”
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)