Maya Youths Accuse Armed Bille Invaders Of Attacking Communities In Adamawa.
A bloody confrontation had earlier erupted in 2006 when both communities clashed over boundary enforcement.
The fragile peace in Adamawa State is once again under threat as the Maya Youths’ Progressive Association (MAYOPA) has raised an alarm over what it described as a “criminal invasion” of several Maya communities by armed Bille youths in Demsa Local Government Area.
Addressing journalists in Yola on Wednesday, the group accused security agencies of complicity and negligence for failing to arrest or prosecute perpetrators of the August 4th attack on villages in the newly created Tagombali District.
According to the statement signed by MAYOPA leaders, Mr. Gagdiwana Joel and Mr. Gideon Levi, Bille youths allegedly led by their President, Wilfred Jonathan, stormed Kwaba, Guri/Wurobokki, Kwaba Waka, Tashan Gurgu, and Dingle Kasa, brandishing sophisticated weapons and performing rituals to demarcate new boundaries.
“This was nothing short of a declaration of war,” the Maya youths warned, stressing that the attack was meant to forcefully enforce a disputed 1992 government gazette transferring some Maya villages to the Bille District.
MAYOPA noted that despite decades of petitions to the Adamawa State House of Assembly and appeals to traditional and security institutions, the dispute has lingered, fueling repeated clashes.
A bloody confrontation had earlier erupted in 2006 when both communities clashed over boundary enforcement.
The group alleged that the latest invasion was carried out with the tacit support of Bille elders while security operatives turned a blind eye.
“If government and security agencies continue to look away while individuals arrogate to themselves the role of law enforcement, then there is a looming anarchy in the land,” the statement read.
MAYOPA issued a stern warning that Maya youths would no longer fold their arms in the face of repeated provocations.
“While we remain law-abiding citizens, we will not concede an inch of our land. If this intimidation continues, we shall match violence with violence. No community has the monopoly of violence,” the group declared.
The Maya youths demanded a thorough investigation into the August 4 invasion. They also demanded the immediate arrest of Bille Youths’ President Wilfred Jonathan and his “co-conspirators.”
Additionally, they urged the state government to expedite action on the pending Bill creating new districts to correct discrepancies in village alignments.
They further urged the government and security agencies to act decisively and impartially to avert a descent into bloodshed.
“The safety, dignity, and territorial integrity of the Maya people are non-negotiable,” the group concluded.
