The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has said that the blood of innocent people, including men, women, and children, in Jos, Plateau State is calling for justice.
This is following the recent killings that occured on the Palm Sunday, adding that the country needs to respond with strong determination.
According to the APC leader, Plateau deserves peace in his reaction to the visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who visited the state to show support to the people after the recent terrible and unnecessary killings of innocent people in Angwan Rukuba, in Jos North Local Government Area.
“The President’s visit shows strong leadership, care for people, and unity for the country, especially as the people of Plateau are still hurting from the cruel and unfair loss of their loved ones due to more violence,” he said.
Yilwatda said he strongly and clearly criticized the killings, calling the attack inhuman, cowardly, and unacceptable, adding that it was a direct attack on the peace, unity, and spirit of Plateau State.
According to Professor Yilwatda, the ongoing shedding of innocent blood in Plateau is not only unacceptable but a national tragedy that must no longer be met with routine outrage and temporary responses.
In a statement signed by Abimbola Tooki, the Special Adviser to the National Chairman on Media and Communications Strategy, Yilwatda said that it’s time for all the right people and groups to work together carefully and with purpose to stop such terrible and unacceptable actions from happening again in Plateau State or anywhere else in the country.
Professor Yilwatda urged leaders from different communities in Plateau State to be more watchful, attentive, and take initiative in spotting and informing about any strange activities or security risks in their areas.
He pointed out that the recurring pattern of killings strongly indicates that many of those responsible for these brutal acts are not ghosts or invisible invaders, but rather criminal elements and miscreants residing within or around the communities, taking advantage of local vulnerabilities to inflict harm on innocent citizens.
In his words, “these bad people can’t stay hidden anymore because of silence, fear, helping them, or everyone ignoring the problem,” he said.
“They have to be found, shown for who they are, caught, and made to suffer the full consequences of the law.”
The APC National Chairman also told security agencies to quickly review and improve their security systems and ways of working to better deal with the ongoing violence in Plateau State.
He said that security agencies cannot keep using old methods to fight smarter and harsher criminal groups and hope for a better result.
Yilwatda therefore called for the implementation of modern surveillance and intelligence-driven technology, such as AI-powered cameras, drones, advanced tracking systems, and real-time intelligence gathering tools, to identify, monitor, and neutralize criminal activities before they occur.
He said the current time calls for smarter, quicker, and more advanced security solutions, adding that keeping people and their belongings safe now needs more than just people working hard, “it also needs technology, smart planning, exactness, and being responsible.”
He said clearly that Plateau cannot keep on grieving again and again, while the enemies of peace are still free to cause fear and harm to ordinary people again and again.
Professor Yilwatda also highlighted the severe economic consequences of insecurity in Plateau State, expressing sorrow that the state, which is endowed with stunning natural scenery, thriving tourism resources, and significant economic prospects, has endured preventable setbacks caused by ongoing violence.
He says that an economy can’t grow when people are scared, investments cannot succeed when there’s violence, and a society cannot really do well if its people live in fear and uncertainty.
Professor Yilwatda called for a whole-of-society approach to ending the violence in Plateau, urging traditional institutions, religious leaders, political actors, youth groups, women’s groups, security operatives, and community stakeholders to collaborate with honesty and patriotism to restore peace and stability.
During the visit, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, along with Yilwatda, Governor Caleb Mutfwang, former leaders, and other important people, went to see the families of the victims from the Angwan Rukuba attack.
