Yakubu Maikyau, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, has attributed the Plateau killings to a failure in intelligence.
He expressed his condemnation of the attacks on Plateau State villages by terrorists on December 24, which resulted in the deaths of over 200 residents. This was part of the New Year message released by the association’s National Publicity Secretary, Akorede Habeeb-Lawal.
Maikyau described these incidents as “inexcusable and unacceptable”. He also pointed out that the recent drone attack by the Nigerian military in Tudun Biri, Kaduna State, highlighted a deficiency in the country’s security structure.
On December 3, a military air strike intended for terrorists mistakenly hit Tudun Biri in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing over 100 villagers during a Maulud celebration.
Maikyau stated, “From information made available by the military and other security sources, the Tudun Biri incident is suggestive of the gap in our security architecture – lack of inter-agency synergy and coordination, while the attack in Plateau is clearly indicative of poor intelligence gathering or, a deliberate failure to act despite the intelligence on the impending attacks on the villages, or notice of the attack on the villages by the bandits, as reported by community leaders.”
He urged the government to address security loopholes in the country and prioritize the safety of citizens’ lives and property. He said, “Government, through our Armed Forces and other security agencies, must ensure that no square inch of the Nigerian territory is left ungoverned; no part of Nigeria should be left under the control of criminal elements by whatever name so called. Government must make deliberate investment in security, of such a scale and magnitude, which will leave Nigerians in no doubt as to the sincerity of the statement made by the President.”
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He also called on the Federal Government to take a comprehensive approach to security issues, taking into account the unique characteristics of each region and developing tailored measures to address them. He said, “In this regard, the government must neither be’scared’ nor ‘ashamed’ to make the right investments in security, in line with global trends in security, without compromising our sovereignty.”#Plateau