The United States
government on Monday demanded that the suspects arrested in connection with the
recent killings of over 200 persons in some local government areas of Plateau
State should be prosecuted.
A short statement released
on Whatsapp by the Plateau State Commissioner for Information and
Communication, Yakubu Dati, said the Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy in
Nigeria, David Young, made the demand during a courtesy call on Governor Simon
Lalong in the Government House, Jos.
He said, “The Deputy Chief
of Mission, US Embassy in Nigeria also called for punishment for those arrested
in connection with the killings and insisted that they must be made to face the
music. He said the US Embassy valued her partnership with the Plateau State
Government.
“Earlier, Young had
commended Lalong for nipping in the bud the unfortunate destruction of lives
and property which minimised the casualty during the crises that rocked some
parts of Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Jos South Local Government Areas.”
In his response, Lalong
stated that despite the recent disruption of peace in some parts of Plateau
North Senatorial District, the state “still remains the Home of Peace and
Tourism.”
The governor thanked the
United States Embassy in Nigeria for collaborating with the Plateau State Peace
Building Agency to hold a stakeholders’ meeting in the troubled zone.
He gave the assurance that
the Plateau State Government would “ensure that perpetrators of this mayhem are
brought to book according to the law.”
Meanwhile, the Southern and
Middle Belt Leaders Forum has met with a former Chief of Army Staff, Gen.
Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), over the killings in parts of the country.
Those at the meeting
included a Niger Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark, and Yoruba leaders, Chief Ayo
Adebanjo and Chief Olu Falae.
They sought Danjuma’s
support to proffer a solution to the carnage in Plateau, Benue, Taraba,
Zamfara, Adamawa and other states.
Addressing journalists
after the meeting which held at Danjuma’s residence in Asokoro, Abuja on
Monday, the President-General of Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze, Chief
Nnia Nwodo, disclosed that the forum and Danjuma had resolved to embark on
advocacy visits to all the political and civil leaders in all the geo-political
zones in order to stop the bloodshed.
He explained that the
former CAS had agreed to lend his voice and reach out to other eminent persons
to proffer solutions to the killings.
He noted that the advocacy
against the current situation had become imperative to prevent the nation from
sliding into anarchy and instability.
The Ndigbo leader pointed
out that there was no strong political direction towards a solution to the
killings, adding that the SMBLF decided to collaborate with all eminent persons
in the country to use their influence to end the ongoing carnage.
“General T.Y. Danjuma is an
elder statesman and a non-partisan politician; he is retired from both
political and civil service obligations but he remains a very strong neutral
voice in our country and the Armageddon that has befallen us, given the quantum
of bloodshed that we witness on a daily basis and the lack of strong political
direction regarding the solution.
“We had a very useful
discussion and as a father, he has promised that he will do everything within
his power to ensure that he continues to be a voice of reason and a voice of
reconciliation. He has promised to be a voice of advocacy for the correct path
to follow in our polity,” Nwodo explained.
”
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