•Idris assures Tinubu will secure every inch of Nigeria’s territory
•Authorities must take action, says deputy speaker
Deji Elumoye, Emmanuel Addeh, Juliet Akoje in Abuja and Seriki Adinoyi in Jos
Vice President Kashim Shettima has declared that the President Bola Tinubu’s administration will not rest on its oars until victims of the gruesome attacks on communities in Barkin-Ladi and Bokkos local government areas of Plateau State get justice and the residents are safe.
Shettima, according to a release issued by his media aide, Stanley Nkwocha, gave the assurance yesterday when he visited crisis-ravaged communities in Plateau state to condole with the people and state government over the recent killings in area.
Vowing that the killings on the Plateau and other parts of the country must stop, Shettima said Tinubu was heartbroken by the massacre.
“Now, please accept our heartfelt condolences, please accept our deepest apologies. Because we won’t rest until you access justice and until you are safe.
“The president is deeply shaken by this tragedy and shares in this unspeakable sorrow that has shattered the joy of Christmas across the country.
“When one community bleeds, the entire nation feels the pain. The pain we feel now transcends ethnicity or religion, geography or politics. The grief that binds us is a testament to our shared humanity, not differences,” he added.
Identifying with the grieving families who lost loved ones in the attack, the vice president acknowledged the fact that it is an indescribable nightmare to bury families, describing it as a rare experience that is much more unbearable than the pain of losing one or two loved ones.
“We cannot fathom the depth of this grief beyond the experience of the bereaved. We can only offer to assuage your pain. What has happened to you is a funeral for the entire nation. Our hearts bleed alongside yours, our dear brothers and sisters in Bokkos, Barkin-Ladi, and all over Plateau state,” he added.
Shettima assured the people that the Tinubu administration was out to protect them and ensure justice, even though it may appear as if the government had failed them in their time of serious need.
Noting that justice is the path to collective safety, unity, and healing of the nation, he said: “We came to power promising to uphold the sanctity of every citizen’s life, and now is the time to reassure you that this inter-community violence, which has hijacked the humanity and serenity of this beautiful state over the past decades, will never persist under our watch.
“We will harness all our resources to bring those responsible to justice; we will not rest until we are able to prevent the recurrence of these heinous acts.
“Your blood, your tears, and your cries stain our collective conscience. We are here for you, we are here, resolute in our commitment to ensuring that the perpetrators of these mindless killings face the full force of the law.”
He, however, appealed to the people of Plateau State to resist what he described as the temptation to succumb to sectional divisions or the poisonous rhetoric of hatred towards their fellow citizens while assuring that the government was set to ensure justice and security for them.
“This violence persists due to this dangerous practice of treating criminals as ambassadors of their group, where the law is taken into our hands, and where protection fails. But this is not the case now. This is a promise,” Shettima assured.
Also, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, yesterday condemned the recent killings in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State, reiterating the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration to ensure that every inch of the country’s territory is protected.
A statement by Idris, said that Tinubu had directed the security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous killings are fished out and brought to justice and make sure that all forms of criminality by terrorists, bandits and militants are tackled boldly and decisively.
The president, Idris said, has also directed the federal ministry of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation and other relevant agencies to work with the Plateau state government to deliver immediate humanitarian relief to the affected communities.
“The federal government acknowledges the deep pains being felt by all the victims of these attacks, and pledges to scale up collaboration with and support of the state governments in the collective task of ensuring lasting peace and security in Nigeria.
“At the federal level, all hands are on deck across the security and intelligence agencies, to scale up intelligence-gathering and crisis-response efforts.
“We pray for God’s comfort and healing for all the affected communities and families. May the souls of the dead rest in peace,” Idris added.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, yesterday promised that every concerted action must be taken by the relevant authorities and stakeholders to stop the scenes of dreadful carnage on the streets of Plateau state.
According to a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu who he said was devastated by the unfortunate reports of the massacre, charged all security agencies to go after the assailants.
The deputy speaker described the attacks as reprehensible and unprovoked, insisting that the perpetrators must be fished out and brought to justice.
He recalled the previous years of similar ugly incidents in the state, saying that never again should such repeat itself.
Kalu said that what the nation needs at all times is peace, adding that it is for this reason that he is championing the Peace in South East Project (PISE-P) to restore peace in all warring regions, starting from the South-east region.
While commiserating with the government and the people of Plateau state, especially the family of the victims, Kalu said that all legislative interventions will be activated to dissuade future occurrence even.
He also appreciated the security agencies for their efforts to stop the attacks from escalating any further.
