President Bola Tinubu has strongly condemned what he described as the ‘barbaric and cowardly attacks’ by gunmen in Angwan Rukuba district, Jos, Plateau State, assuring that the barbaric acts would not go unpunished.
Last Sunday night, gunmen stormed Agwan Rukuba community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing an unspecified number of residents.
Eyewitnesses said that the attackers, who rode on motorcycles, invaded the community around 7:30 pm, while people were going about their normal businesses, firing bullets indiscriminately and causing panic among residents.
Many people were killed and several others injured.
In a statement on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the President equally condemned the attacks in Kahir village in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Describing the attack on the community in Jos and the killing and abduction of wedding guests in Kaduna as an affront to all that Nigeria stands for, President Tinubu assured Nigerians that the barbaric acts will not go unpunished.
‘Anyone who will sneak under the cover of the night and kill defenceless citizens as done in Jos and Kahir village, is a heartless coward. By attacking soft targets in Jos, their objective is not only to cause harm but also trigger a spiral of reprisal attacks and further bloodletting’, he said.
He has directed security agencies to intensify all efforts to pursue the perpetrators and those spreading misinformation that can inflame tensions and further endanger lives. He cautioned some sections of the media, insinuating the attacks were religiously motivated.
President Tinubu reaffirmed that security agencies are actively addressing the situation and stressed that public cooperation is vital to maintaining peace and protecting lives and property. He stressed the need for communities to comply with evacuation, relocation, and related advice and processes. He hailed the safe return of two of the Kaduna victims.
He said: ‘I urge our security agencies to be more proactive in preventing these attacks by acting on early warning intelligence. All the remaining abductees from Kahir village must be rescued immediately.
‘I commend Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State for his efforts in containing the situation in Jos and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State for supporting the rescue and containment efforts. I assure the people and government of the two states of my support. I commiserate with the families of those killed and pray for the quick recovery of the injured. Our government is currently acquiring more sophisticated equipment to enable our security agencies to track and smash criminals, in real time, wherever they are’.
