PIDAN Decries Escalating Insecurity in Kanam

The Plateau Initiative for the Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN) has raised alarm over the worsening security situation in Kanam Local Government Area and its environs, following the brutal abduction and murder of a respected traditional leader.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Saturday by the Chairman of PIDAN Central Zone, Da Alpha John Dakwak, PIDAN condemned the recent killing of Mallam Hudu Barau, the Ward Head of Shuwak in Kyaram District, describing the incident as a dangerous escalation of the terrorist agenda in Plateau Central.

According to Dakwak, the continuous attacks by armed groups are part of “a systematic cleansing of our ethnic nationalities” and a deliberate attempt to displace native communities from their ancestral lands.

“More troubling is the fact that the war has been carried to the doorsteps of the traditional institution,” the statement read. “This poses a serious threat to the very fabrics of our ancestral lineages.”

While expressing sympathy with the affected communities and families of the deceased, Dakwak called on security agencies to act decisively to stem the tide of terror. He further urged local communities to invoke their right to lawful self-defense.

“Security must not be selective or politicized. It must be swift, just, and effective,” he emphasized, adding that the time has come for citizens to take proactive legal steps to defend their lives and lands.

PIDAN’s warning comes amid growing concerns over the spread of violence in rural Plateau, where dozens of communities have been displaced in recent years.

Da Alpha John Dakwak concluded the statement with a solemn prayer for the soul of the late monarch and all others lost to the ongoing violence.