Gbagyi Lost 115 Members To Prolonged Bassa, Egbura Ethnic Crisis In Toto, Group Alleges
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The Gbagyi ethnic group in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State said it has recorded more casualties from the prolonged Bassa and Egbura ethno-political crisis in the State than even the conflicting parties.
A sociocultural group, the Gbagyi Cultural Renaissance Foundation, GCRF, made this known in a statement signed by its Secretary, Musa Dnasuwa on Saturday in Toto, lamenting that they have been traumatized due to incessant attacks and mischievous intimidation which has negatively impacted on their social, political and economic proficiency.
According to the statement issued after an emergency meeting on Saturday, the Gbagyi ethnic group has lost 115 members and property worth hundreds of millions from 1997 when the ethno-political crisis started till date.
GCRF also lamented that several ancestral homes belonging to the Gbagyi ethnic group have gone into extinction as a result of the crisis while others have been reduced to insignificance.
“There are questions in some quarters to whether or not the remnants of Gbagyi people in some villages are indigenous ethnic group in Toto LGA, hence, a pseudo enslavement policy aimed at our people is being enacted in some communities where they are denied rightful ownership of their ancestral farmlands,” the group said.
The Gbagyi people, GCRF explained that have tenaciously safeguarded their cherished value of peace-loving ethnic group by not resorting to reprisal since inception of the crisis in 1997 even in the face of worst provocations. This, the group added underscores their commitment to peaceful coexistence with neighbors.
“On the contrary, Bassa and Egbura have perpetually abused this hospitality taking our sacrifices for granted. The over tolerance of the Gbagyi people have been miscontrued for either cowardice or complacency. On this premise, our meekness have been over stabbed and our patience stretched beyond the rubicon. God forbids the consequences if nothing is done urgently to tame the already brewing tide of vengeance.
“It is against this background that the Gbagyi Cultural Renaissance Foundation (GCRF) wishes to state that:
“We condemn in the most-strongest terms a subtle attempt to draft Gbagyi people into the age-long Bassa/Egbura crisis. We have never and shall never be party to it. Hence, such insinuations are cheap blackmails aimed at destroying the reputation of our people and also as a tool by the hooligans to perpetuate their criminality. Such attempts shall not longer be taken lightly.
“Gbagyi people have being and will continue to be the pace-setters as far as peace process is concern in Toto LGA and beyond but shall no longer condone the mischievous killing of her kinsmen by the blood sucking vampires who call themselves militias.
“Gbagyis are, and shall remain indigenes of Toto LGA on no account should anybody from anywhere either intentional or otherwise label let alone treat them as strangers, hence, they have equal rights to settle anywhere in the area without fear of intimidation so long as they continue with their normal legal business.
“We have paid enough price for the peace of Toto LGA, those already killed have been considered an act of God. But on no account should any of our community be invaded or any of our men targeted and killed. This is totally unacceptable and shall not be tolerated henceforth.
“Nobody does the same thing and expect a different result, it is common knowledge that Egbura and Bassa have killed and maimed for decades to either settle their differences or achieve their respective goals, yet with little or no result at all, because “violence begets violence” they said. We therefore call on them to drop their arms, embrace dialogue, the only veritable tool for conflict resolution and peaceful co-existence.
“To our amiable Governor, His Excellency, Engineer Abdullahi Sule words will fail us to express our gratitude for your commitment to peace and security of the citizens of Nasarawa State and Toto LGA in particular.
“To us as Gbagyi people, you are rather a father than a Governor, you have kept faith with us during our times of travail and ensured our local population did not vacate their ancestral communities. We are not unaware of the efforts of some conflict marchants who are bent on frustrating your peace initiatives in Toto LGA thereby giving their errand boys a filled day to sustain their killing expedition. The recent attack in Kuwa by Bassa militias which claimed three lives of our young men and injured one has confirmed it. This is because more than half of Umaisha/Ugya Constituency of Toto LGA have been displaced. As the agricultural hub of the LGA farming activities halted indefinitely. It then implies that the source of livelihood of thousands of people have been cut-off thereby aggreviating the already devastated economic situation in the country.
“It is on this note therefore, that GCRF wishes to call on the government of Nasarawa State under His Excellency Engineer Abdullahi Alhaji Sule to ignore all these distraction by enemies of peace and development, rejig the political will and commitment of the present administration toward the peace of our local government and immediately set up a balanced reconciliation committee that encompasses all the major ethnic nationalities in the area.
“The committee must be made up of people with tested integrity, high moral standing and a balanced mindset. The Committee to set up should be given a specified terms of reference to expedite the process.
“We also appeal to the government to as a matter of exigency beef up security in this area to as a short time measure, tame the activities of these hooligans so that our people can go back home and continue with their normal legal business before hunger make some Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs vulnerable for recruitment by criminals which God forbids could worsen the already complicated security situation,” the statement reads further.
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