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Plateau killings: Buhari speaks tough, appeals for calm
- It’s genocide against Christians – PDP
President Muhammadu Buhari has described as regrettable the killings in Plateau state, promising that his government will not rest until the perpetrators are brought to justice.
Over 100 people reportedly lost their lives on Saturday, though the police put the death toll at 86.
The attacks were blamed on suspected herdsmen. Buildings, including churches, were burnt, while vehicles and property worth millions of naira destroyed.
According to the Secretary to the Plateau state government, Rufus Bature, 31 corpses were recovered from Gashish village, 42 others from different villages in Barkin Ladi.
“I believe that this attack was carefully planned by the herdsmen in collaboration with some military personnel who aided the attack,” he was quoted to have said.
Reacting via his Twitter handle, Buhari expressed condolence to the affected communities. “The grievous loss of lives and property arising from the killing in Plateau today is painful and regrettable,” he said.
“My deepest condolences to the affected communities. We will not rest until all murderers and criminal elements and their sponsors are incapacitated and brought to justice.’’
The presidency, via Twitter, also called for calm, while assuring the people that all efforts would be put in place to avoid a repeat of the incident.
“President @MBuhari has been briefed on the deeply unfortunate killings across a number of communities in Plateau State, today. @HQNigerianArmy and @PoliceNG are supporting the determined efforts of Governor @SimonLalong to end the attacks and bring relief to affected communities,” the tweet read.
“The President appeals for calm, and assures that no efforts will be spared to bring the perpetrators to justice, and prevent a recurrence / reprisal attacks. The President and the entire Federal Government stand with the Government and people of Plateau at this sad time.
Meanwhile the state government has imposed a curfew on Riyom, Barakin Ladi and Jos south local government areas of the state, following the deaths of “over 100” persons on Saturday night.
However, National Daily gathered that despite the restriction of movement, aggrieved youths trooped to streets across the state on Sunday to protest the mass killing.
In his reaction, Yakubu Dati, commissioner of information, said government had mobilised the “full compliments” of security forces to restore normalcy in the affected areas.
“Government is deeply pained that despite concerted efforts which had led to the restoration of relative peace across the state, some unpatriotic elements are bent on disrupting the gains so far made,” he said in a statement.
Describing the attacks as a genocide the state chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) called on the international community to come to the aid of the state.
“We received with rude shock the level of genocide going on now in Gashish District, Razat, Ruku Nyarr and Gana-Ropp, all in Barkin Ladi local government,” John Akans, the party’s publicity secretary, said in a statement.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the level of continuous genocide of Plateau people. At the moment, Barkin Ladi is under siege with over 130 people feared to have been killed. As at time of this statement, the (SOM) CAPRO School of missions Gana-Ropp is under heavy attack by the militias.
“This unholy act of systematic genocide and the destruction of the cultural heritage of Plateau people must stop. We call on the international community to come to the aid of Plateau people as besides the over 130 people killed many are missing.”
