Plateau killings: It’s alien to drag dead bodies on the streets of Jos- Plateau APC elders

By GYANG BERE, Jos

Chairman of Plateau State All Progressives Congress Elders Council, Capt. Joseph Din (Rtd) has described as alien the manner in which dead bodies of terror attacks were dragged by some youths on the streets of Jos.

He appeal to Federal Government to as a matter of urgency redeem the pledge of N10 billion made in 2018 to Plateau State for the rebuilding and resettlement of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.

Capt Din, while addressing a press conference in Jos on Friday and the text read by Northern Zone APC Elders Council, Arch. Pam Dung Gyang, condemned the killings in Jebbu Miango, attacks on travellers and bloodbath at Yelwa Zangam in Bassa, Riyom and Jos North Local Government Areas of Plateau State.

“We are a people of good culture, guided by excellent values and norms and therefore we are surprised to see our youth driving around town with the dead bodies uncovered and dragging them without any iota of dignity and honour.

“The Plateau State APC Elders Council condemns the uncultured manner with which the corpses of the dead victims were mishandled. It is not in the character of the people of Plateau State to desecrate the body of the dead.

“We condemn such action in its totality. This attitude is completely alien to our people and therefore it has caused additional pain and trauma to the families who lost their loved ones and the good citizens of Plateau State.

“We must understand as a people that violence will bring us no good. We must once again reconcile with ourselves, forgive one another, show love and tolerate one another as found in our religious books.”

He applauded members of the National and State House of Assembly for supporting Governor Simon Lalong in responding swiftly to the security threats and urged citizens to eschew bitterness and support government in winning the war against terrorists in the state.

The Elders “Condemns in totality any form of unwarranted and unprovoked attack and destruction of human lives, farms and cattle while also calling on the security agencies to be up and doing in the protection of the lives and properties of citizens of Plateau State and Nigeria in General.

“Calls on the security agencies to present the perpetrators of the heinous acts for immediate prosecution so that justice will be served to all who are affected.

“Calls on the people of Plateau to eschew bitterness and embrace peace, dialogue, reconciliation and forgiveness which is divine.”

The Elders urged Plateau citizens We call to stop forthwith the politicization of killings arising from the crisis for it will do more harm than good.

“The Council wishes to call on all its citizens including politicians to refrain from influencing and encouraging citizens to resort to self help; this when encouraged will allow for proliferation of arms in our society with attendant negative consequences in the near future.

“The Plateau State All Progressives Congress Elders Council enjoin the Rescue Administration to revisit and dust its transition committee report, so as to identify citizens of Plateau State that were hitherto trained abroad by the last administration on security and intelligence gathering, to be reabsorbed into the Operation Rainbow to complement the recently trained three thousand (3,000) vigilantes.

“Appeal to the Federal Government to as matter of urgency redeem the pledge of Ten Billion Naira (N10,000,000,000) made to Plateau State for the rebuilding and resettlement of the IDPs as well as reconciliation processes.

“In the same circumstance appeals to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the National Emergency Management Agency to hasten the process of presentation of relief materials to alleviate and ease the suffering of the affected victims and communities.” (Daily Sun)