Lalong Confirms Arrest of Killers of Traditional Ruler, DSS Operative, others

Lalong Confirms Arrest of Killers of Traditional Ruler, DSS Operative, others

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

The Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, yesterday said arrests have been made over the recent killings of a traditional ruler, a DSS operative and other five people in the state, adding that the perpetrators of the crimes and their sponsors will soon be brought before the law.

Lalong disclosed this at a one-day roundtable discussion with community stakeholders to commemorate Nigeria’s 60th Independence anniversary held at the Government House, in Rayfield, Jos.

He said his administration would not renege in its resolution to deal decisively with any form of criminality in the state, noting that protection of lives and property is a frontline priority of his government.

According to the governor, “No amount of blackmail and desperation will deter us from this task. We have drawn the battle line with criminals, and together with security agencies, we remain steadfast at securing our state.”

He said the first cardinal objective of his ‘Rescue Administration’ in the state is to ensure “peace, security and good governance.

“This objective was conceived with the aim of tackling head-on the myriad of security challenges and civil unrests that characterised the better part of the last decades in the state. When we came on board, we came with a pre-conceived mindset to end the violence and break the conflict trap.

“It was against this backdrop that we established the Plateau Peace Building Agency as well as took several other steps to arrest the vicious cycle of violence that militated against the socio-economic development of our people.”

Lalong noted that while the primary role of the Peace Building Agency is to engage in long-standing issues of conflict, it’s also to act proactively to de-escalate tension through the facilitation of systematic dialogue between conflict parties or communities.

He stated that it is the earnest desire of his administration to bequeath an enduring legacy of a stable and prosperous Plateau State by the end of his term in office.

He said Nigeria has made great achievements as a people having weathered the storm to forge a common destiny.

“Our ability to always bounce back, even stronger, each time we are knocked over by socio-political or economic trials speaks volume about our abiding faith, hope, resilience and determination to keep a date with destiny.

“You will agree with me that at the dawn of independence in 1960, those aspects of our public life that united us as a people were more pronounced and better appreciated than those that seemed to have appealed to our sectional or primordial interests today.

“Presently, the story of Nigeria may not reflect what our founding fathers had in mind when they fought for independence, but I firmly believe that the present challenges confronting us as a country is a passing phase that is crucial to building a virile, peaceful and united country on the long run,” the governor stated.

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