The progenitor of various ethnic groups that culminated to what they called Plateau State today established a solace amidst hills and mountains, they were neighboured with natural fortification, joined with the fact that they were courageously brave to maximize the potential of their immediately domain.
The NOK Terracotta in Nigeria found in in Jos Plateau lucidly shows that the ancestors of Plateau were also rich in knowledge, skills and ability, it is not a misused if we conclude that they were wealthy.
The ancestors of various ethnic groups in Plateau preserved their domicile for centuries against external invasion. Just like the Niger Deltans were seen as Kings of the Rivers, the Plateau Natives were Masters of the mountains and they could easily use the hills as a strategic arena to monitor the progress of enemies and also place a bane resisting the success of invaders. History had it that various tribes in the plateau were furnished with brave men and women that could even fight the wildest animal with bare hand.
No wonder, with the coming of the Uthman Dan Fodio and his Jihadists in 19th Century, while they were busy occupying streets and conquering the nations, the Berom, Ngas, Tarok, Anaguta, Amo, Buji people among others fought like lions and secured their land from these imperialists. It is easier to conclude that their progenitors were brave ancestors.
It is part of history that these courageous people resisted the invasion of 1873, they defeated about 5,000 Armies of Mallam Ibrahim, the then Emir of Bauchi who was on a Jihad mission, they successfully pushed back the invaders to the Bauchi Province. The evidence of their success in late 19th Century lies on the fact that non-Muslims still dominate the communities till today.
Alas, today, the invaders cum imperialists have continued what they couldn’t finish in centuries ago, the offsprings of the Plateau Natives were been roasted like Chickens on daily basis, once upon a time masters of the mountains are now beggars on the prestigious hills.
The carnage is everywhere in the land and the gory is quite disheartening, the carcasses littered the streets, and the cry of the helpless infants is heard across the space, the people whose ancestors could easily kill a lion with bare hand are now running away for ordinary cows and the herders.
Today, the Plateau Natives preferred to pray to the sky daddy and expect help from the Pope in this illusive world to summoning a courage, attack the attackers and defend the land for posterity.
Brethren, if your life is equated with that of cow and you are still afraid to lose it, you don’t even deserve to be called human because you are the worst of the cowards.
Self defense is the best form of defense, remember, you are not going out of your land to attack, but you are defending your land from the vicious attackers.
Never rely on prayer as the way out, never expect anyone to do for you what you can do better for yourself, people away that are praying for you are doing so because they are incapacitated, but the ball is in your court, be the real men that your ancestors were, take your armour, go to the mountains of your ancestors, look the enemies eye ball to eye ball and fight like a wounded Lion. Victory lies in taking the path of honour.
Ogunwoye Samson Gbemiga (Ogunsamson)
Freelance Writer, Critic, Social Crusader.
