{
  "id": 11662967,
  "title": "Re: When the Bar sees one side of bloodshed",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/re-when-the-bar-sees-one-side-of-bloodshed",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-03T09:44:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Trust",
    "slug": "daily-trust",
    "url": "https://dailytrust.com/re-when-the-bar-sees-one-side-of-bloodshed/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Nigerian Bar Association issued a joint press statement on September 28, 2026, expressing concern over continuing insecurity in Plateau State. The statement emphasized the government's responsibility to protect lives and property, and called for the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of various criminal acts. The association also stressed the importance of impartial security agencies and the need for victims to receive justice. However, the statement was criticized for its selective focus on certain attacks and the omission of victims from specific ethnic backgrounds.\n\nThe communiqué mentioned attacks in Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, and Bokkos, and frequently referred to \"terrorists, invaders, land grabbing and even \"Fulani militia.\" However, it did not address the brutal attacks on innocent Fulani people in the same areas and time frame. This omission was deemed difficult to understand, considering the association's declaration that every Nigerian has an inviolable right to life and security, regardless of status, ethnicity, religion, or location.\n\nFurthermore, the statement's treatment of self-defense raised concerns. The association acknowledged that self-defense is legal, but warned that it should not be used as an ethnic blank check, permit collective punishment, or justify reprisal attacks. The distinction between self-defense and unlawful violence becomes critical in Plateau, where attacks and reprisals are common. The association's language could potentially be used as moral justification for violence, further polarizing the already suspicious society.\n\nThe statement also risked reinforcing the narrative that attacks on innocent Fulani people could be rationalized or excused under the guise of \"self-defense,\" while attacks attributed to Fulani assailants would immediately be labeled as terrorism, invasion, or occupation. This double standard could perpetuate a cycle of violence and hinder peace in the region. The association should ensure that the ethnicity of offenders and victims does not determine the language used to describe their crimes or the response to those crimes. Instead, justice should be determined by evidence, necessity, and proportionality, irrespective of ethnicity.",
  "summary": "I have read with considerable concern, the joint press statement issued on September 28, 2026 by the chairmen of the Jos, Pankshin, Bukuru and Shendam branches of the Nigerian Bar Association on the continuing insecurity in Plateau State. There is much in the statement with which every conscientious Nigerian should agree. The government bears the […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}