The Irigwe Development Association (IDA) in Plateau on Tuesday called on governments to compensate victims of attacks on Irigwe chiefdom in Bassa Local Government Area of the state.
National President of IDA, Mr Robert Dodo, told newsmen in Jos that victims and dependants of those killed in myriad attacks on the chiefdom had been utterly neglected.
He lamented that thousands of Irigwe people had been displaced from their homes and there had not been any form of support for them.
Dodo called on the Federal Government to direct the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to conduct an assessment of affected communities with a view of providing succour.
He said the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) should do same.
“It is no longer news that Irigwe chiefdom has been under series of attacks in recent past and the effects of these had resulted in the destruction of lives and property.
“As a nation, we call for immediate provision of materials for victims of the attacks through NEMA and SEMA with a view to providing succour
“We also call on government to, as a matter of utmost importance, initiate a rebuilding plan to have all the houses razed rebuilt so as to enable the owners to return to their ancestral homes.
“We urge government to compensate the people whose farmlands and crops had been destroyed,’’ he stressed.
Dodo called on governments to temporarily suspend grazing in Irigwe communities, to enable herders and natives to dialogue on better ways of cohabiting.
He called on security agencies to intensify efforts toward ending killings in the chiefdom and in the state in as whole.
He also called on security agencies to arrest, investigate and prosecute perpetrators to serve as deterrent to would-be assailants.
Dodo also called on the Irigwe people to be law-abiding and be peaceful at all times.
“We call on our people to continue to be law-abiding, explore avenues of peace building and peaceful coexistence, respect constituted authorities and report any threat capable of causing confusion in the chiefdom,’’ he admonished. (NAN)
