Plateau massacre: Gov. Lalong storms Aso Rock, says perpetrators will be prosecuted

“For over six years now, we have been enjoying peace in Plateau State, so anybody that wants to take Plateau back to those old days of crisis, it is not only me as Governor but all Plateau people will resist that.

“They have said ‘we don’t want to go back to crisis again, we are enjoying peace and we want to continue to enjoy our peace’’

Plateau Governor Simon Lalong, whose state has been boisterous with massacre of some worshippers in transit and reprisal, on Tuesday stormed the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to brief President Muhammadu Buhari on the security situation with a resolve to deal with those formenting trouble in the state.

“For over six years now, we have been enjoying peace in Plateau State, so anybody that wants to take Plateau back to those old days of crisis, it is not only me as Governor but all Plateau people will resist that.

“They have said ‘we don’t want to go back to crisis again, we are enjoying peace and we want to continue to enjoy our peace,” he told State House correspondents after a meeting with President Buhari.

Persecondnews recalls that on Saturday, August 14, 2021 no fewer than 30 adherents of a religious organization from Ondo State were killed in Plateau State while returning from Bauchi.

The state has been experiencing reprisals following the killings.

Lalong accused “foreign elements’’ who are non-residents of the state for instigating reprisals in the state over recent bloody skirmishes.

“Again, I want to appeal to people because most of those who are outside the state calling for reprisal are not people from Plateau State.

“ I am yet to see one cleric coming out to say I want reprisal. I have set up an interreligious committee, which comprises all top religious leaders in Plateau State, both Muslims and Christians and when things like this happen, they address it.

“So, for people to call from outside the state for reprisal, I say no because they are crying more than the bereaved; leave us. We are handling our issues, we are doing reconciliation and consultations don’t call for reprisal attacks.

“If you want to do a reprisal, you are on your own. We have agreed with the religious leaders and all of them are doing their best, they are cooperating with the State and we are also doing our best,” the governor said.

On the security situation in the state, Lalong said the situation has greatly improved, adding that the curfew imposed on troubled areas would be further relaxed very soon.

He said proper investigations were ongoing to enable the government prosecute the perpetrators of the killings.

“Both soldiers and the police are controlled by the Presidency and right now they are diligently working in my state on a daily basis.

“That is why on the first day, I announced a 24-hour curfew but I kept on relaxing it. By the grace of even this week, the curfew would further be relaxed, so that people can carry out their normal activities.

“We are the only state that has a peace building agency set up by the State government and it is the only State that for now has established an interreligious council. These are all the efforts that we have done and within a short time, peace has returned to Plateau State.”

On the victims of the recent clashes in the state, Lalong said Buhari had promised the necessary support for the victims already displaced.

The governor said: “I also made a request to the President about relieve materials and also still re-echoed the issue of resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). We have a lot of IDPs in my State, we have a lot on our hands already and when such happens, you expect the state to seek for support for relieve materials.

“We are doing our best, but the President said he will talk to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs so that attention would be given to those who are displaced as a result of this crisis.

“When this happened, we had to go to Ondo but in so many places that is unusual, but we took all of them that we rescued and treated and went there with a powerful team led by the Deputy Governor of Plateau State with all religious leaders to Ondo to sympathize with the state. Their governor also said they will also send a team to come and appreciate what we have done.

“The remaining things we need to do are to continue with reconciliation and dialogue. We are the only state that has a peace building agency set up by the State government and it is the only State that for now has established an interreligious committee.

“These are the things we did for peace to return within a short period of time but that does not mean that we are sleeping on fishing out the perpetrators of these criminal acts.’’

On the first economic summit scheduled to hold in the state, Lalong said the state would still go ahead with the summit which it was preparing to host before the recent crisis broke out.

“The state is determined to host the summit so as to confirm that peace has returned to the state. We are also going ahead with consultations and harmonization of ideas on daily basis in order to ensure that we have security.

“We are still ready for that so that people will not be discouraged from coming to Plateau.’’