The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has donated N15 million to support the victims of last Sunday’s Angwan Rukuba attacks, and other vulnerable patients receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).
Returning to Plateau State on Saturday, two days after being in President Bola Tinubu’s entourage, which had earlier visited Jos, the state capital, to commiserate with the state government over the incident, Yilwatda went with his wife, Dr. Martina Yilwatda, to JUTH, where victims of the disaster are receiving treatment.
The donation, the APC National Chairman noted, is intended to ease the immediate burden of medical care and provide some measure of relief to those going through physical pain, emotional trauma, and financial hardship as a result of the unfortunate incident.
The visit was not only a gesture of sympathy but also a clear reaffirmation of the resolve of the Federal Government to ensure that the lives and properties of Nigerians are protected and that the repeated shedding of innocent blood in Plateau State must come to an end.
During the visit, Yilwatda described the attack as barbaric, painful, unacceptable, and a direct assault on our common humanity, stressing that the time has come for all stakeholders to move beyond routine condemnation and work deliberately and collectively to prevent any recurrence of such senseless violence.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications Strategy, Mr Abimbola Tooki, the APC National Chairman said that the pain of the victims and their families is a burden that must be shared by all men and women of conscience, adding that no society can make meaningful progress where innocent citizens continue to live in fear and uncertainty.
He said that the Bola Tinubu administration remains deeply committed to restoring peace, strengthening security operations, and ensuring that all parts of the country, including Plateau State, enjoy the safety and stability necessary for development and peaceful coexistence.
Yilwatda assured the victims and their families that the Federal Government is not leaving any stone unturned in its determination to ensure that every Nigerian life is valued, protected, and defended against criminality, violence, and terror.
He emphasised that the tragedy in Angwan Rukuba must serve as a wake-up call to all leaders, communities, security institutions, and political actors to rise above division and work in unity to confront the forces of violence threatening the peace of the state and other parts of the country.
Yilwatda also used the occasion to commiserate with the families of those who lost their lives in the attack, praying for the peaceful repose of the departed and asking God to grant their loved ones the strength and courage to bear the painful and irreparable loss.
He expressed deep appreciation to the management and medical personnel of the Jos University Teaching Hospital for their prompt response, professionalism, and commitment in attending to the victims and saving lives under difficult circumstances.
The National Chairman also paid a condolence visit to the Paramount Ruler of Jos North Local Government Area, the Ujah Anaguta, over the unfortunate attack on residents of Anguwan Rukuba, a community within his domain.
He reiterated that the tragedy in Plateau must not be normalised, politicised, or reduced to another passing news cycle.
Rather, he said, it must provoke renewed urgency, coordinated action, stronger intelligence gathering, deeper community engagement, and sustained security intervention to ensure that communities across the state are protected from further attacks.
He called on political leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups, civil society organisations, and community stakeholders to close ranks and reject every form of hatred, division, provocation, and violence capable of threatening the peace and unity of Plateau State.
Yilwatda maintained that the state, with its rich diversity, history, and strategic importance, must not be allowed to descend into repeated circles of bloodshed, grief, and instability.
He affirmed that the APC, the Federal Government, and all responsible stakeholders are united in the resolve to ensure that there is no repeat of such horrific incidents and that every necessary step will continue to be taken to restore confidence, strengthen peace, and guarantee security for all residents of the state.
