Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State has alleged some persons are planning to see the state in perpetual crisis.
In a statewide broadcast, the governor said his administration would not allow criminal elements to use politics, religion, and ethnicity to divert their attention from their criminal activities.
“We are facing a very difficult moment and we must work together to overcome,” he said.
“There is an obvious plan by those who desire to see Plateau in perpetual crises to employ all divisive methods to achieve their objectives. We must not allow them to use politics, religion, and ethnicity to divert our attention from their criminal activities.”
The broadcast comes in the wake of the killing of 37 residents of Yelwa Zangam.
“From the engagements so far, it has again become clear that all these attacks are purely criminal activities that must be treated as such. Even though they are quickly given ethnoreligious connotations, there is no justification for the killing of anyone human being. We are a society that is guided by rules which do not permit anyone to take the laws into his or her hands no matter the grievances,” he said.
“My dear citizens, our long-term goal is to foster dialogue, collaboration, understanding, and proactive dispute resolution mechanisms that will make it difficult for people to resort to criminality in the name of self-help and reprisals whenever there is any disagreement. Those who fail to follow lawful means to settle their grievances should be ready for a showdown with the Government as we will never tolerate killings and destruction of properties under any guise.”
The governor however expressed disappointment with the utterances of some religious, community, and political leaders that were capable of inciting people.
On the reopening of UNIJOS, the governor said, “Let me use this opportunity to assure parents of students studying at the University of Jos that we are working with the university authorities to ensure the safety of their wards as soon as the school reconvenes.”
