2nd October, 2018
PRESS RELEASE:
STOP
BEROM CHRISTIAN TERRORISM NOW
The Muslim Rights Concern
(MURIC) has raised alarm over circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Major
General Idris Alkali since 3rd September, 2018. The army general who
retired a few weeks ago was the Chief of Administration in the Nigerian Army up
till the time of his retirement. Security agents traced signals from his cell
phone to a notorious pond in the Dura-Du District, a Berom community in Jos, Plateau
State.
The search for the general
which began on 22nd September, 2018 involved the army, the Nigerian
fire services and local divers. The general’s car with plate number MUN-670-AA Kwara
State was found at the bottom of the pond after spending more than one week
draining it. The searchers also found his blood-stained army T-shirt with his
name tag on it. But the body was nowhere to be found.
In a press statement signed by
the director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the human rights organization
affirmed that there was more to the disappearance of the retired army general
than meets the eye. According to the group, there is every reason to believe
that the general was targetted by Berom Christian terrorists because he was a
Muslim passing through Berom territory.
“The Nigerian Army has reported
that General Alkali (rtd) disappeared around that Dura-Du axis. Thefact that
more than 500 Berom Christian women protested against the search at the pond in
order to stop the army from draining it is a strong pointer to the complicity
of the whole community. Terrorists and killers hiding behind community women is
a most dangerous development.
“It is not a new phenomenon.The
fact that four other cars were found at the bottom of the evil pond shows that
the spot had been a killing ground for some time. Islamic organizations,
particularly the Jamaat Nasril Islam (JNI) have compalained severally in the
past about the atrocities being committed by the Berom Christian terrorists but
the security agencies paid no attention. Muslims are no longer safe in Berom
community.
“Berom Christian terrorists
once surrounded hundreds of Muslims who gathered for Id prayer. These were
their Muslim neighbours who came out without carrying arms because there was no
declaration of hostility at the time. The Berom killers surrounded them, shot
and killed them all. The shocking thing was that they roasted the dead bodies
and ate them up! The video of this horrendous crime was circulated some years
back.
“The Berom Christian terrorists
are also in the habit of blocking major highways. They stop vehicles and
profile the drivers and passengers. Those who look like Muslims or Fulanis are
dragged out and slaughtered on the spot. Their dead bodies are usually dumped
in the notorious pond. Sabon Hanya especially between Mangu and Jos has been
notorious for the mysterious disappearance of Muslims and Fulanis for a long
time. The perpetrators of this heinous crime refer to Muslims and Fulanis as
‘bush meat’.
“MURIC appeals to the Chief of
Army Staff, General Buratai, to leave no stone unturned in finding General
Alkali (rtd) dead or alive. Nigerian Muslims want to know what happened to him.
A whole retired general cannot disappear into thin air just like that. It is a
daring assault on the Nigerian Army. This is infra dignitatem. How can ordinary
civilians treat a whole general of the Nigerian Army like this?
“We want the culprits
identified, apprehended and duely punished according to the laws of the land. The
army must also find their sponsors no matter how highly placed they may be. We
are also interested in knowing the identities of the owners of the four cars
found along with the general’s car. Of course our strong suspicion is that they
were all Muslims driving through Berom territory before they were profiled,
murdered and dumped in the pond. Perhaps their bodies and that of the general
were buried elsewhere to ensure that they are never found.
“The wind has blown. We have
seen the ruff of the hen. Those who blame Muslims for killings can now see that
the noise makers are the real killers. This one is organized killing by
Christian terrorists. We strongly suspect that the killings are carried out
with the connivance of certain elements in official circles within the
state.
“As a parting shot, we charge
the Inspector General of Police to release police dogs for a special search of
the community. It will definitely require a combined team of the army, navy and
the police with sniffer dogs for the operation to be successful. We have no
iota of doubt that Berom land is full of shallow graves where hundreds of
Muslim bodies have been dumped. The search should now shift from looking for
the retired general alone. It must be comprehensive. Berom community lies on
dead bodies of Muslims and their blood cries out for justice.
“MURIC calls for massive
deployment of troops to all highways in and around Jos. All unauthorized
road-blocks where Berom terrorists profile and kill Muslims must be dismantled.
We are constrained to issue a travel alert for Muslims travelling through Berom
territory until the situation is brought under control. We advise Muslims to
use alternative routes for their own safety.
In the meantime we appeal to
Muslims all over Nigeria to remain calm and law abiding. The military is on top
of the situation.
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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