Plateau Massacre: Saraki Charges Security Agencies to Apprehend Killers

•  Dogara: Buhari’s Done Enough to End Killings

Deji Elumoye and James Emejo in Abuja

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has called on the country’s security agencies to, as a matter of urgency, fish out the killers of scores of people in Plateau State last weekend.

Saraki, who made this call Wednesday in Jos, Plateau State capital, while on a condolence visit to the state Governor, Simon Lalong, over the recent killings in the state, said it was high time the security agencies came together to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, also yesterday, stated President Muhammadu Buhari has indeed “taken enough steps” to put an end to the wanton killings by mostly armed herdsmen across the country.

Speaking after he and the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, visited the president over the renewed killings in Jos, Plateau State, Dogara further hinted of plans by Buhari to effect some reorganisation to forestall future occurrence.

According to the Senate president in a statement signed by his spokesman, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the security agencies must ensure that those responsible for the killings are quickly apprehended to help bring an end to killings on the Plateau.

He said: “We must also ensure that all those who are responsible for these killings must account for it. It is part of providing succour and ensuring peace. You cannot bring back the lives, but finding and prosecuting the perpetrators will go a long way in helping to calm people and ease the pain that they are going through.

“Therefore, yet again, we call on our security agents to ensure that they find the perpetrators that have done this and make them account for their detestable actions.”

He also stated that working towards peace in Plateau State and Nigeria as a whole must remain the primary responsibility of all Nigerians.

Saraki, who led a three-man Senate delegation, said the sad incident was not only a loss to Plateau State but Nigeria as a whole.

He stated that though the National Assembly is currently on recess, “let me assure you that when we resume next week, this is one of the prime issues that will be up for discussion.

“However, we thought it necessary to come here personally to meet with the people of the state to commiserate with the families because words cannot really describe this kind of pain.

“Our prayer to Almighty God is to grant the affected families the fortitude to bear these losses. At this time as well, I also pray to God to give the governor the courage to be able to manage this challenge and bring solace to a lot of people.”

On his part, the Speaker Dogara, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Hassan Turaki, said the National Assembly leadership seized the opportunity “to advise the president on other measures and actions that would help bring lasting peace in our country in accordance with the resolutions passed at the joint emergency closed-door session of the National Assembly some weeks ago.”

According to Dogara, “We requested for the meeting in order to hear from the president the steps and measures he is taking to end the orgy of killings and violence not only on the Plateau but in other parts of the country.

“The president briefed us on what he saw firsthand when he visited Plateau State last Tuesday and the measures he is putting in place to forestall recurrence.

“Buhari has taken enough steps and told us what he is doing especially the reorganisation that he plans to put in place to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.

“I want to seize this opportunity to once again offer our condolences to families of victims of violence in Zamfara, Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Adamawa, Kaduna Nasarawa, Borno, Yobe and other states, and urge our citizens to embrace peace without which there cannot be any meaningful development.”

However, the Senate president stated that though this was a very difficult time for Plateau State, the entire country stands with the state during this sad period.

“We were late in coming here because both the Speaker of the House of Representatives and I sought an appointment with the president on the killings that occurred here to see how we would come together to see what could be done to forestall and prevent future occurrences like this and provide relief and support for all those that have been affected,” he said.

Responding, Lalong commended Saraki and the Senate delegation, saying: “We welcome you to our state.
“When this thing started, as the leader of our geopolitical region, you called me, despite your busy schedule to ask me ‘What can I do to help?’

“On behalf of the good people of this state, I thank you and the Senate delegation for being here. This is because you are not only here representing yourselves, you are here representing the entire National Assembly.”