The Centre for Human and People’s Rights Advocacy in collaboration with Taraba Concerned Citizens Forum are calling on the Federal Government to declare a State of Emergency on Taraba State, as a way of ensuring that peace is finally restored in the Mambilla Plateau.
The group made this call during a media briefing it organised in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.
The Director and National Coordinator of the group, Barrister Mustapha Mohammed described the killings in the Mambilla as genocide. He, therefore, appealed to the international community to investigate the killings where lives were lost houses destroyed and people displaced.
The group accused the government of not being up to its responsibility by failing to provide relief materials and medical attention to victims of the attack.
He says it is wrong to give the crises a religious coloration but rather tribal since about 95% of the people on the Mambilla are Muslims.
He also called for a total and genuine restructuring where the people of Nigeria will elect delegates that will represent them at the conference and not a selected few by a sitting President.
Reacting to the media briefing, the Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly represented by his Chief of staff Mr. Phillip Munlip says the Speaker will not join issues with the group but advised them to present their evidence to the judicial panel set up by the state government.
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ishaku Darius, Hassan Mijinyawa says the state took prompt action in addressing the problem contrary to the allegations at the media briefing.
Apart from the Judicial Panel of inquiry set up by the state government, two other committees were established to restore peace and reconciliation on the Mambilla.