12/01/2022
PRESS RELEASE BY TAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION ON THE ONGOING FULANI ATTACKS IN TAL COMMUNITY OF TANGALE NATION.
With deep heart of sorrow and pains, we would like to express our sympathy and condolence for the lives of our beloved Tangale brothers killed and maimed by the Fulani herders and attackers from December 2021 to Date. We pray God to console their immediate families, Mai Tal and the entire Tangale nation. These heinous acts were orchestrated and supported by the enemies of Tangale (both from within and without), who would want to impose on Tangale people some cultures that are alien to us. The Tangale nation is injured and as if that is not enough, the government came and added salt to the injury.
It is on this note that Tal CDA wants to put it on record and also correct some misinformation portrayed in a press briefing granted by the Gombe State Commissioners for Information, Internal Security and a Special Adviser to the governor (who is a son of Tal, from Kolokkwannin) where they mischievously claimed that the recent heinous attack on the unsuspecting good and law-abiding people of Tal was a farmers/herders CLASH.
Does it surprise you any longer when sons of the soil choose to take side with the government over their people? Then you wonder what money can buy. For traitors like Bitrus Bilal and Julius Ishaya, one might wonder where their moral compasses were while they were delivering the so-called press briefing. I guess you were used and selected wisely by the oppressor to justify his hatred for our people by giving us the blame.
The Attacks on Tal District of Tangale nation were carried over several instances:
1. The first attack was on 6/12/2021 where Samuel Wakaye was shot with an arrow at Latede, while Nitte Phobe was marchetted at Lalido Ayaba, he was admitted to the hospital but later discharged. (Glory be to Almighty God).
2. On 11/12/2021, they attempted to r**e one Rachael Polycarp in Lalido Ayaba who was later rescued by some members of the community after raising alarm. Thereafter, they carted away with the food prepared for community workers who were harvesting on the farmland belonging to Napthali Balas, after eating the food they destroyed the containers to infuriate the villagers. (Women too are not spared in the so-called "clash”).
3. The following day, 12/12/2021, at Pandinkude, Yila Mashi, Tibna Hamma (Another woman who is an elder sister to Bitrus Bilal, the S.A in the press briefing) and other workers with them were tortured and injured using cutlasses, arrows after some of them were severely beating.
4. They invaded Pandikame Village on 12/12/2021 during which Lawan Bello was attacked in his Compound, and while escaping they pursued, butchered him to death, returned and burnt down the house belonging to one Mr Bello Ali, a brother to the deceased.
5. On 17/12/ 2021, the invaders attacked Lawumau Village near Ayaba at midnight hours, after surrounding the Village, they dragged one Nitte Yusuf (Dogo), aged 52 from his compound and killed him in cold blood by Gunshots. (Yet government calls it "mere Clash") They returned and set ablaze the whole compound as they rustled some domestic animals from the village.
6. On 27/12/2021, a resident Fulani man was kidnapped while his brother was killed by the invaders in Kargu near Popandi, Tal his offence was; purported revelation of their plans to the Tangale people.
7. On 29/12/2021, Poshulte and Kolokwannin were invaded and ATTACKED Broad day during which 8 people were killed while 4 people sustained various degrees of injuries currently receiving Medical attention without government intervention since it was just a "mere Clash"
8. The most recent was an attack on Popandi village of Tal on 9/1/2022 where one person was killed, a serving officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service by name Insp Mela Meshak (Nadab) who was on leave while one Richard Iliyah was shot and currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
It is therefore against this backdrop, that as a community we respond to debunk some falsehood and misrepresented facts contained in the press briefing by the Gombe State officials, by putting the records straight for posterity:
1. The media report by a team of correspondents from Channels TV and TVC was not just on the Kolokkwanin ATTACK but the serial ATTACKS on Tal Communities namely: *Latede, Lalido - Ayaba, Pandin Kude, Pandi Kame, Lawumau - Ayaba, Kolokkwanin & very recently Popandi.
2. The national chairman of Tal CDA was in a crucial security meeting with other major stakeholders in the community to ascertain the level of damage done to the community as at the time the team of journalists arrived and it was decided that from the General Assembly of Tal CDA one of the branch Chairmen stands-in for the community and incidentally Jos Branch Chair in the person of Comrade. Japhet Philip La'abe (Jagaban Tal) spoke for the community. Hence, he did not speak on his own accord but behalf of the community.
3. The community still insist that it was not just an ordinary ATTACK but a well-planned and coordinated series of ATTACKS with evidence of some form of support from high places. Now that the government has given us the idea that they know the ATTACKERS whom they claim were on "transit" or Migrant according to the government, it will be expedient to fish them out. The world would want to know what the “clash" is all about because the ATTACKERS arrived at Kolokkwanin in broad daylight when the community was preparing for a wedding which had to be called off for obvious reasons. The Commissioner internal security has very good information that will help unravel the ATTACKERS from his submission on behalf of the government.
4. The Government should not divert the attention of the good people of Gombe state and the world at large by divulging into politics amidst severe security Challenges where lives and properties have already been lost. Just in case they have forgotten, we would like to remind them that they swore with the Holy Books and the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria to be fair to all and defend lives and properties, irrespective of political, ethnic or religious background. We, therefore, refer the government of Gombe State to the prevailing situation in Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto states which started in like manner.
FOR THE RECORDS
The ATTACKS in Pandi Kame, Lawumau - Ayaba, & Popandi all happened during ungodly hours (midnight). How would any sensible and responsive government call that a mere "Clash" Clash on what? A heritage Tangale people share with them or what?
Every other person that was interviewed in the media report under review did that on behalf of the entire Tal Community and by extension Tangale nation.
This is not politics, when the time for that comes politicians in the land will respond accordingly. In the meantime let us face the issue at hand.
From the submission of the commissioner of internal security, we indeed saw the show of force by the joint security agencies before and shortly after the 25th of December but when this ATTACK was reported, the S.A to the governor said they scrambled for security agents (whatever that means) who were at Kolokkwanin, saw the ATTACKERS on bike shooting sporadically (One wonders when did Fulanis start using bikes for migration?) but they did nothing because they were not ordered to do anything.
Also, that the ATTACKERS are migrants is not true, because there is and has never been any cattle route around Kolokkwannin.
Contrary to Bilal’s statement, “for some two to three days during the period, I had to relocate to the village,” no one has seen him before or after the attack in Kollokwanin, according to several people of the community. So, we wonder if the community Bitrus Bilal is referring to is his stomach or something he saw in his dream. Let me bring the reader up to speed. Grp Capt. Bitrus Bilal (RTD) was born in Kollokwanin, so stop claiming that you visited your people and hometown when you did not.
S.A to the governor, one wonders what becomes of the other communities of Tal and by extension Tangale if your very root Kolokkwanin was not spared and you decided to be reduced to a laughing stock by your response to the prevailing situation. You were quick to bring in politics, Haba! You will need to listen to yourself again, can you go to Kolokkwanin and tell them that it was just a mere "Clash"? Anyways, when the time for politicking comes, Tal will respond accordingly, while we await that time the government which you defend has a responsibility to provide security and defend its citizens.
Mr Bilal, your claim that the Tangale people followed the Fulanis to about 100-200km is ridiculous and disingenuous, let us put it clear to you Billiri-Gombe is 58km and Bauchi to Gombe is less than 200KM. One would have given it to slip of tongue but that you mentioned it thrice becomes a thing of concern, so one will wonder where on earth the ugly event occurred within Gombe state or elsewhere because 100km is equivalent to Filiya to Gombe, let alone 200km.
Mr Adamu Dishi Kupto, commissioner of internal security, your statement is clear and loud in admitting that you know who the ATTACKERS are, and the state is protecting them by telling them not to attack. So, since you said they shouldn’t attack and they did, what is the state government’s next course of action? Nothing? We suppose because everything was done to please your master. If not, why the days of deafening silence, with no arrests, and no justice?
Mr Commissioner internal security, since what you enjoy doing is paying condolence visits where you provide Palliatives in this government at the expense of human lives, the question here is what is still keeping the EMERGENCY agency, it is taking forever for them to respond, or is it because it is Tangale Land?
CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATIONS
1. That the government of Gombe State and its cohorts have shown a non-challant attitude towards the happenings in Tal and Tangale at large as evidenced by their press briefing.
2. That the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Billiri has continued to exhibit his sentimental attitude against the Tangale people. Because on 12/12/21, when Pandikame was attacked, he refused to respond to a distress call by a community leader, until when a call was put to the Area Command before he was instructed to visit the scene. Even on arrival at the scene, seven hours after the attack, he asked the villagers not to take the law into their hands, while they watch a co**se killed by the attackers. It is on this note that we demand his immediate transfer from Billiri, because his continuous stay constitute as a clear supervision of carnage over the Tangale people.
3. As for the SA (Group Captain Bitrus Bilal (Rtd), he is strongly advised to retrace his steps by using the same media outfits to retract those misrepresented facts and the malicious statements he made against Tal people; Amb Japhet Philip La'abe (Jagaban Tal), render an apology to the people of Tal and the entire Tangale nation.
SIGNED
NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, TAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATIONPRESS RELEASE BY TAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION ON THE ONGOING FULANI ATTACKS IN TAL COMMUNITY OF TANGALE NATION.
With deep heart of sorrow and pains, we would like to express our sympathy and condolence for the lives of our beloved Tangale brothers killed and maimed by the Fulani herders and attackers from December 2021 to Date. We pray God to console their immediate families, Mai Tal and the entire Tangale nation. These heinous acts were orchestrated and supported by the enemies of Tangale (both from within and without), who would want to impose on Tangale people some cultures that are alien to us. The Tangale nation is injured and as if that is not enough, the government came and added salt to the injury.
It is on this note that Tal CDA wants to put it on record and also correct some misinformation portrayed in a press briefing granted by the Gombe State Commissioners for Information, Internal Security and a Special Adviser to the governor (who is a son of Tal, from Kolokkwannin) where they mischievously claimed that the recent heinous attack on the unsuspecting good and law-abiding people of Tal was a farmers/herders CLASH.
Does it surprise you any longer when sons of the soil choose to take side with the government over their people? Then you wonder what money can buy. For traitors like Bitrus Bilal and Julius Ishaya, one might wonder where their moral compasses were while they were delivering the so-called press briefing. I guess you were used and selected wisely by the oppressor to justify his hatred for our people by giving us the blame.
The Attacks on Tal District of Tangale nation were carried over several instances:
1. The first attack was on 6/12/2021 where Samuel Wakaye was shot with an arrow at Latede, while Nitte Phobe was marchetted at Lalido Ayaba, he was admitted to the hospital but later discharged. (Glory be to Almighty God).
2. On 11/12/2021, they attempted to r**e one Rachael Polycarp in Lalido Ayaba who was later rescued by some members of the community after raising alarm. Thereafter, they carted away with the food prepared for community workers who were harvesting on the farmland belonging to Napthali Balas, after eating the food they destroyed the containers to infuriate the villagers. (Women too are not spared in the so-called "clash”).
3. The following day, 12/12/2021, at Pandinkude, Yila Mashi, Tibna Hamma (Another woman who is an elder sister to Bitrus Bilal, the S.A in the press briefing) and other workers with them were tortured and injured using cutlasses, arrows after some of them were severely beating.
4. They invaded Pandikame Village on 12/12/2021 during which Lawan Bello was attacked in his Compound, and while escaping they pursued, butchered him to death, returned and burnt down the house belonging to one Mr Bello Ali, a brother to the deceased.
5. On 17/12/ 2021, the invaders attacked Lawumau Village near Ayaba at midnight hours, after surrounding the Village, they dragged one Nitte Yusuf (Dogo), aged 52 from his compound and killed him in cold blood by Gunshots. (Yet government calls it "mere Clash") They returned and set ablaze the whole compound as they rustled some domestic animals from the village.
6. On 27/12/2021, a resident Fulani man was kidnapped while his brother was killed by the invaders in Kargu near Popandi, Tal his offence was; purported revelation of their plans to the Tangale people.
7. On 29/12/2021, Poshulte and Kolokwannin were invaded and ATTACKED Broad day during which 8 people were killed while 4 people sustained various degrees of injuries currently receiving Medical attention without government intervention since it was just a "mere Clash"
8. The most recent was an attack on Popandi village of Tal on 9/1/2022 where one person was killed, a serving officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service by name Insp Mela Meshak (Nadab) who was on leave while one Richard Iliyah was shot and currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
It is therefore against this backdrop, that as a community we respond to debunk some falsehood and misrepresented facts contained in the press briefing by the Gombe State officials, by putting the records straight for posterity:
1. The media report by a team of correspondents from Channels TV and TVC was not just on the Kolokkwanin ATTACK but the serial ATTACKS on Tal Communities namely: *Latede, Lalido - Ayaba, Pandin Kude, Pandi Kame, Lawumau - Ayaba, Kolokkwanin & very recently Popandi.
2. The national chairman of Tal CDA was in a crucial security meeting with other major stakeholders in the community to ascertain the level of damage done to the community as at the time the team of journalists arrived and it was decided that from the General Assembly of Tal CDA one of the branch Chairmen stands-in for the community and incidentally Jos Branch Chair in the person of Comrade. Japhet Philip La'abe (Jagaban Tal) spoke for the community. Hence, he did not speak on his own accord but behalf of the community.
3. The community still insist that it was not just an ordinary ATTACK but a well-planned and coordinated series of ATTACKS with evidence of some form of support from high places. Now that the government has given us the idea that they know the ATTACKERS whom they claim were on "transit" or Migrant according to the government, it will be expedient to fish them out. The world would want to know what the “clash" is all about because the ATTACKERS arrived at Kolokkwanin in broad daylight when the community was preparing for a wedding which had to be called off for obvious reasons. The Commissioner internal security has very good information that will help unravel the ATTACKERS from his submission on behalf of the government.
4. The Government should not divert the attention of the good people of Gombe state and the world at large by divulging into politics amidst severe security Challenges where lives and properties have already been lost. Just in case they have forgotten, we would like to remind them that they swore with the Holy Books and the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria to be fair to all and defend lives and properties, irrespective of political, ethnic or religious background. We, therefore, refer the government of Gombe State to the prevailing situation in Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto states which started in like manner.
FOR THE RECORDS
The ATTACKS in Pandi Kame, Lawumau - Ayaba, & Popandi all happened during ungodly hours (midnight). How would any sensible and responsive government call that a mere "Clash" Clash on what? A heritage Tangale people share with them or what?
Every other person that was interviewed in the media report under review did that on behalf of the entire Tal Community and by extension Tangale nation.
This is not politics, when the time for that comes politicians in the land will respond accordingly. In the meantime let us face the issue at hand.
From the submission of the commissioner of internal security, we indeed saw the show of force by the joint security agencies before and shortly after the 25th of December but when this ATTACK was reported, the S.A to the governor said they scrambled for security agents (whatever that means) who were at Kolokkwanin, saw the ATTACKERS on bike shooting sporadically (One wonders when did Fulanis start using bikes for migration?) but they did nothing because they were not ordered to do anything.
Also, that the ATTACKERS are migrants is not true, because there is and has never been any cattle route around Kolokkwannin.
Contrary to Bilal’s statement, “for some two to three days during the period, I had to relocate to the village,” no one has seen him before or after the attack in Kollokwanin, according to several people of the community. So, we wonder if the community Bitrus Bilal is referring to is his stomach or something he saw in his dream. Let me bring the reader up to speed. Grp Capt. Bitrus Bilal (RTD) was born in Kollokwanin, so stop claiming that you visited your people and hometown when you did not.
S.A to the governor, one wonders what becomes of the other communities of Tal and by extension Tangale if your very root Kolokkwanin was not spared and you decided to be reduced to a laughing stock by your response to the prevailing situation. You were quick to bring in politics, Haba! You will need to listen to yourself again, can you go to Kolokkwanin and tell them that it was just a mere "Clash"? Anyways, when the time for politicking comes, Tal will respond accordingly, while we await that time the government which you defend has a responsibility to provide security and defend its citizens.
Mr Bilal, your claim that the Tangale people followed the Fulanis to about 100-200km is ridiculous and disingenuous, let us put it clear to you Billiri-Gombe is 58km and Bauchi to Gombe is less than 200KM. One would have given it to slip of tongue but that you mentioned it thrice becomes a thing of concern, so one will wonder where on earth the ugly event occurred within Gombe state or elsewhere because 100km is equivalent to Filiya to Gombe, let alone 200km.
Mr Adamu Dishi Kupto, commissioner of internal security, your statement is clear and loud in admitting that you know who the ATTACKERS are, and the state is protecting them by telling them not to attack. So, since you said they shouldn’t attack and they did, what is the state government’s next course of action? Nothing? We suppose because everything was done to please your master. If not, why the days of deafening silence, with no arrests, and no justice?
Mr Commissioner internal security, since what you enjoy doing is paying condolence visits where you provide Palliatives in this government at the expense of human lives, the question here is what is still keeping the EMERGENCY agency, it is taking forever for them to respond, or is it because it is Tangale Land?
CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATIONS
1. That the government of Gombe State and its cohorts have shown a non-challant attitude towards the happenings in Tal and Tangale at large as evidenced by their press briefing.
2. That the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Billiri has continued to exhibit his sentimental attitude against the Tangale people. Because on 12/12/21, when Pandikame was attacked, he refused to respond to a distress call by a community leader, until when a call was put to the Area Command before he was instructed to visit the scene. Even on arrival at the scene, seven hours after the attack, he asked the villagers not to take the law into their hands, while they watch a co**se killed by the attackers. It is on this note that we demand his immediate transfer from Billiri, because his continuous stay constitute as a clear supervision of carnage over the Tangale people.
3. As for the SA (Group Captain Bitrus Bilal (Rtd), he is strongly advised to retrace his steps by using the same media outfits to retract those misrepresented facts and the malicious statements he made against Tal people; Amb Japhet Philip La'abe (Jagaban Tal), render an apology to the people of Tal and the entire Tangale nation.
SIGNED
NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, TAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION
