Date Published: 03/17/10

Dear Sir,

Jos Crisis: Seeking explanation from the forces

When I read the front page of This Day newspaper edition of Friday March 12, 2010 I was highly disturbed. The headline the GOC 3 rd Armoured Division Jos, Major General Saleh Maina was credited thus: “I GOT ONLY TEXT MESSAGES BEFORE JOS MASSACRE ....Governor Jang did not call me” .

In the body of the story, Major General Maina said “I want t make it categorically clear that no government official from Plateau State called me prior to the mayhem at the Dogon-Nahawa and the surrounding villages, and they all have my phone number. However, I will like to tell you that some text messages were received by some of my officers which they forwarded to me. And let me just read some of them to you..... that some Fulani men were seen in large numbers around Barkin Ladi and Furbon area, and that was 12 minutes to 9pm (on Saturday)...”. If I were the GOC I would bury my head in shame. This case must be properly investigated.

Also reported four weeks earlier was that the Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo, had mentioned that there were some intelligent reports indicating that the Fulanis were going to attack in Jos. Who did he send the reports to and what efforts did he make thereafter.

The former National Security Adviser has a case also to answer. The Defence Minister has an explanation to make. The Defence Headquarters has points to clear. Please this massacre must be checked. If it goes unchecked, then forget about northern unity; talk less for the unity of the whole country.

Chief Cosmos Erhabor, Mississippi Street, Maitama, Abuja