Governors Condemn Jos Killings, Sue for Peace

By james Orji

36 state governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF has condemned the barbaric killings of 23 travelers at Rukuba Road in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau.

The travelers were killed while returning from a religious programme from Bauchi on Saturday.

The Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven, OPSH in Plateau, has arrested over 20 suspects, over the early morning killings at Rukuba Road, Jos North Local Government Area of the state.

OPSH is responsible for maintaining peace in Plateau and its environs.

Reacting to the tragic killing, the governors, in a statement issued by its Head, Media, and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, in Abuja on Sunday, said the killing was barbaric and senseless, adding that Nigerians should be able to traveled anywhere in the country without molestation.

The governors said “These dastardly actions of Nigeria’s once peaceful locals which have resulted in unwarranted and needless deaths diminish us all as a people and pulls our country down to the deepest recesses of the absence of civilization.

“They also cause all kinds of reprisal killings and injurious interactions that do nobody any good.

“The Forum views with extreme disgust the horrible and thoughtless loss of precious lives and declare unequivocally that it must stop forthwith.”

According to them the country’s security organisations to fish out all those involved and bring them forward to face the full wrath of the law to serve as a deterrent to those who are contemplating similar action.

They added that no human life deserves to be wasted on any ground; be it religious or ethnic, or even on the frivolous altar of mistaken identity, hoping that Nigerians would desist from taking the law into their own hands so that the country could once again become a safe place for all.

They also called on all aggrieved ethnic nationalities and their militia to avoid needless killings by always seeking law enforcement assistance and legal redress, noting that peace is required for development to take place.

President Muhammdu Buhari has already directed security forces to fish out the killers, warning that his government will not allow wanton killings of innocent citizens.