Again, 20 killed in Plateau •CAN cautions FG over killings

STILL reeling from the killing of over 30 people in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State on Tuesday, another 20 people were killed on Thursday in Wase Local Government Area of the state by unknown gunmen.
An eyewitness told the Nigerian Tribune that the incident happened at about 2.00 a.m on Thursday, when some group of insurgents invaded Wase town to unleash mayhem on the premise of being on revenge mission.
It was gathered that the insurgents were repelled by the youth in the town, who trooped out in large number to confront the gunmen who came with dangerous weapons.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that after the confrontation with the insurgents, they were chased out of the town while the attackers further moved to Mavo communities, also within the council, and killed 20 people before they fled.
A youth, who gave his name as Nangak, while speaking with newsmen, said the attackers came to the village in their hundreds and started shooting sporadically into the air, before they descended on the people still in their sleep.
When contacted on phone, the interim administrator of the local government, Zakari Haruna, confirmed the attack, adding, however, that peace had been restored to the community.
He declined to comment on the number of casualty, but added that many houses were burnt by the attackers.
Also, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Felicia Anslem, confirmed the attack, but said she had not been fully briefed on the incident.
Meanwhile, Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria, John Groffen, has expressed the determination to continue to support Centre for Conflict Management and Peace Studies, University of Jos, towards ensuring enduring peace in Plateau State and Nigeria in general before the 2015 general election.
He lamented that the Middle Belt region and North Eastern Nigeria had been plagued with different kinds of violence and attacks, orchestrated by group of persons, leading to killing of innocent people and destruction of properties.
Ambassador Groffen, while on a visit to the centre, on Thursday, lauded the efforts of the institution in championing reconciliation and dialogue among the troubled communities in the state.
He noted that the embassy was into bilateral relationship with the Federal Government, towards boosting the economy and to assist in total restoration of peace in the country.
In his remark, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Hayward Babale Mafuyai, said the support of the Netherlands Embassy to the centre had impacted positively on the lives of the citizens of Plateau State and the Middle Belt at large.
Professor Mafuyai noted that peace process had been set among the communities and sustained by the centre as a result of the grant approved by the embassy.
Disturbed, however, by the killings in parts of Plateau and Kaduna states, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna State has cautioned the Federal Government not to allow the killings in those states turn into a genocide.
“Governments must not allow the unfortunate experience of Central African Republic (CAR) to happen in Nigeria. The genocide along religious and ethnic and religious lines does no good to anybody in that African nation,” it said.
Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna, on Thursday, the chairman of Kaduna chapter of CAN, Bishop George Dodo, also condemned the killing of Zaria-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Mohammed Awwal-Albani; his son, Abdallah and wife.
The chairman said the attacks on the two local government areas of Kaduna and Plateau states were unacceptable and regretted that the perpetrators were still at large.
“Those that committed the atrocities in the two councils are not spirits but human beings and, therefore, something should be done to apprehend them before it gets out of hand.
“Security operatives should mobilise and go into the bushes between Kaura Local Government Area of the state and Riyom Local Government Area, as well as Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
“They should comb and fish out the perpetrators of the crime. Failure of the government to arrest those who took pleasure in killing fellow human beings without any just cause, particularly in part of Kaduna and Plateau states, might force citizens to take up arms to defend themselves,” he said.
He recalled that the late Governor Patrick Yakowa set up a Reconciliatory Committee on the crises in the state and wondered what happened to the report of that committee that had longed completed its work.
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