President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed security agencies to fish out the masterminds of what he called “dastardly acts” of killings in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State and parts of Benue State.
The president, in a statement on Tuesday by his spokesman, Dele Alake, condemned the most recent internecine killings.
Tinubu, who expressed sadness and grief over the latest round of violence in Plateau State, described the festering “reprisal attacks, needless and avoidable bloodletting” among communities in the two states as “very depressing”.
He, however, charged the governments of Plateau and Benue States and emergency response agencies to provide support and immediate relief to victims who have been displaced as a result of the conflicts.
He reaffirmed his government’s determination to stamp out violent crimes and all forms of criminalities everywhere in Nigeria.
President Tinubu urged community leaders, religious leaders, traditional rulers, socio-cultural organisations as well as the leadership of Arewa Consultative Forum, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, and Christian Association of Nigeria to work together to help foster genuine and long-lasting peace, rebuild trust and restore harmony to the conflict areas.
“It is most unfortunate that in this orgy of violence, an innocent eight-month-old baby in Farin Lamba community of Vwang District, Jos South Local Government, died in a conflict she knew nothing about.
“A major consequence of perennial conflict is always the tragic loss of innocent lives. To build virile, peaceful and prosperous communities demand tolerance and forgiveness for every perceived wrongdoing,” the president said in the statement titled ‘Plateau Killings: We Must Break This Cycle of Violence’.
