Pope Francis on Sunday prayed for an end to the killings in Jos, Plateau State.
The pope, while joining notable individuals to condemn the killings, sought prayers for the victims of the violence in a post on his official X handle.
“Let us #PrayTogether for the victims of the severe violence in Nigeria’s Plateau State. May God free Nigeria from these horrors! Let us also pray for those who lost their lives in the explosion of a tanker truck in Liberia,” he wrote via @Pontifex.
The PUNCH reports that gunmen on Christmas Eve launched attacks on 17 Plateau communities in the Barkin-ladi Local Government Area, killing no fewer than 195 persons and setting 221 houses ablaze, rendering about 10,000 displaced.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Friday, visited Plateau State as a follow-up to the deployment of policemen in the attacked communities.
The IG said, “President Bola Tinubu has ordered that the perpetrators of this heinous act be fished out and face the full wrath of the law. I commiserate with the people of Plateau and assure you of the full support of the police in tackling this menace.” However, despite the ongoing security operation in the crisis areas, gunmen have again killed six people and injured one other person in two separate incidents iin the state.
While three persons were killed in Kwahaslalek Community in the Mangu Local Government Area of the state on Saturday night, three others were shot dead in Durbi village, Jos East LGA.
Some residents of the Kwahaslalek community confirmed the killings to The PUNCH on Sunday, claiming that it was an attack by suspected gunmen.
A villager, Sunday Michael, said “The Kwahaslalek community was sadly attacked last night(Saturday). The attackers were in their large numbers. They killed three persons and injured one. Sadly, one of those killed was Yakubu Difwat Dabit. The community is right now in grief as those killed are being buried”
But the police spokesman denied any attack on the Kwahaslalek community.
“There was no attack in the community, although some people died. What happened was a case of criminality in the area but we are after them. It’s a matter of time because we already have some clues, including phone numbers and we must surely get them,” the PPRO stated.
Alfred in a statement also denied any fresh attack in the Durbi community of Jos East.
He said, “Contrary to the news making the round on some news and social media platforms that the attack that occurred at Durbi village of Jos East LGA is related to the recent attacks that took place in some Plateau LGAs, the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, Okoro Alawari, wishes to clear the air that it is a case of attempted kidnapping and culpable homicide, not an attack on the entire community.
“At approximately 2130hrs on 31/12/202, we received credible intelligence from a reliable source regarding the unfortunate killing of a man and his son, by unidentified hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers.
“On receipt of the information, the DPO of Angware division, SP Taru Pariku, immediately led a team of policemen to the crime scene. Further investigation, however, revealed that in the course of the incident, the victims struggled with the hoodlums and in an attempt to flee from the advancing team of police operatives, the kidnappers shot at the victims. In the process, one of the hoodlums was also killed.
“The Commissioner of Police on behalf of the officers and men of the command, expresses our condolences to the bereaved family and prays that the Almighty comfort their hearts during this difficult time.’’
The CP assured the public that the police are diligently investigating the case to bring the perpetrators to justice.
He reiterated the ban on the operation of tricycles and commercial motorcycles in the state.
Speaking with our correspondent in Jos, on Sunday, the Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos LGA,Kefas Mallai, said the displaced persons were desirous of returning to their communities, but could not do so for fear of being attacked.
The PUNCH reports that the survivors of the attacks, who are taking refuge in camps, churches, mosques, schools, and private residences, have called on the Federal Government to protect them from further attacks.
Mallai, lamented the humanitarian crisis occasioned by the terrorist attacks on the communities, stressing that the victims were suffering.
He said, “Here in Bokkos, the situation of the IDPs is not palatable. They are simply suffering. Many of them want to go back to their communities but cannot do so because of insecurity.
“So, what the people want for the security agents to go after the terrorists wherever they are hiding and recover the weapons so that the people can return to their communities which have remained deserted.’’
A displaced person in Mangu community, Titus Joshua, called for constant monitoring of the security agents deployed in the areas.
“Our challenge is that sometimes we don’t know which one is the authentic or fake security agent. So ,apart from going after the terrorists to recover the weapons from them,the authorities should also monitor the security operatives that were deployed to the field .
“This is very important because our experience have shown that some of the victims of the attacks died in the hands of some fake security agents whom they ran for protection not knowing that they were terrorists in security uniform.
“Another thing is for the government to consider setting up permanent security posts in these attacked communities because that will give the displaced persons confidence to return to their communities without fear of another possible attack on them,” he advised.
Meanwhile, the Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Hassan Kukah, has told President Bola Tinubu that the legitimacy of his government hangs on ending the mindless killings in the country.
Kukah in his New Year message titled, ‘Blood and Crucifixion on the Plateau,’ said Nigerians were tired of the official platitudes and the failure to bring the killers to justice.
The bishop stated, “Tinubu must know that the legitimacy of his government hangs on resolving this and giving us our country back. We are tired of the confusing, inexcusable, monosyllabic excuses saying, ‘This is an asymmetrical war,’ ‘We are on top of the situation.’ You cannot kill an idea, it is not about religion or ethnicity, we will bring them to justice.
“This culture of investigation as excuses must end. The media and we the people must continue to remind the government of its obligations to be accountable.”
The vocal cleric reasoned that the public confidence would grow in government if the investigation outcomes were made public and the masterminds of the evil deeds punished.
He noted, “We, citizens of Nigeria, feel collectively humiliated and betrayed by those who are collaborating with these murderers and a government that seems helpless.
“Can we continue to believe that there is no long-term plan to take over the reins of power of the Nigerian state? These people want power. They want it on their own terms. They want their own kind of Nigeria, according to their ideology.’’
Kukah further argued that the bloodshed in Plateau State was no longer carried by herdsmen but by those seeking to take over the country.
“These killings are just a preface. These killings are no longer acts by herders and farmers over the grazing fields. No, there is more and we as a nation will do well to face this threat before it is sunset. No evil lasts forever. The world defeated slavery, apartheid, nazism, racism, and forms of extremism,’’ he stated.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has said that the Federal Government would not allow terrorists to bring Nigeria down.
Matawalle gave the assurance spoke in Jos on Sunday when he visited Governor Caleb Mutfwang at the Rayfield Government House.
He was accompanied by the service chiefs and top military officers, including the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the General Officer Commanding 3 Division and the Chief of Military Intelligence, among others.
The minister said, “We’re here to strengthen you after what happened on the eve of Christmas. As soon as we came in after the President directed us to come here, we went into a meeting with the traditional rulers of those communities affected and we discussed the possible ways out of the situation.
“We will win against these small rats. When I was a governor, I knew how I handled them. I insist that they are just small rats and we will not allow them to bring the country down.
“We must come together and muster the political will because as politicians we have to also find ways of defending ourselves. Mr President is determined to end this evil. I was supposed to be on a journey but he called on me to come here. We will speak with you and give you some recommendations on how to deal with the situation.”
While thanking the minister and the service chiefs for the visit, Muftang said Nigerians looked up to them to address the security challenge in the country, pointing out that if the zeal and passion already demonstrated by them in tackling the security challenge in the country were seen in the past, the situation would have been different in Plateau State.
The governor said, “What I can tell you is that between Mangu, Bokkos, Riyom and Bassa (LGAs), you have some of the biggest mineral deposits and that is why we have had some of these vicious attacks in Plateau as the strategy is to dislocate the people and use the land for mining.
“We have had communities that have been displaced in the last 10 years. Today, the first hydroelectricity station in Nigeria is in Kura Falls where you have NESCO but today, ordinary mortals cannot work there because you will not come out alive.
“While NESCO is a private company, it is a national monument and these are some of the things we must protect.”
The governor thanked the President for ordering the deployment of armed forces and expressed confidence that the efforts to restore peace in Plateau would yield the desired results soon.
“As a government, we will do everything we need to do to ensure that this ugly chapter of our history is closed forever,” the governor added.
Meanwhile, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has asked the International Criminal Court to probe the killings in Plateau State.
SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the organisation had sent a letter to the ICC Prosecutor on the Plateau killings.
“Nigerian authorities have a primary responsibility to ensure accountability and justice and reparations for these human rights crimes. However, Nigerian authorities are generally unwilling or unable to investigate and prosecute these grave human rights crimes domestically.
“Indeed, successive governments in Nigeria have been unwilling or unable to prosecute cases of unlawful killings and other violations of international law in several parts of the country, and to provide effective remedies and reparations to victims and their families,” SERAP wrote in the letter to the ICC.
“Your urgent intervention would reassure victims and their families that they would receive effective remedies including reparations. It would serve to deter further violations and address the prevailing culture of impunity for such crimes across the country. It is the impunity of perpetrators and their sponsors that continues to fuel these human rights crimes,” it said.
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