By Abiola Olawale
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has condemned the killing of 12 travellers in Plateau State, branding the act as “barbaric and utterly unacceptable.”
In a statement released Sunday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu expressed profound sorrow and outrage, vowing that the culprits would face the full weight of the law.
He also ordered the Nigerian Police Force to collaborate with other security and intelligence agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), to track down and apprehend those responsible for the massacre in Mangun District, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The statement reads in part: “President Bola Tinubu has condemned the killing of travellers in Plateau State, urging security forces to ensure the arrest and punishment of the culprits.
“Reacting to the news of the murder of 12 wedding guests, including the father and brother of the groom, the President described the heinous action as unacceptable and barbaric.
“The victims, many of them injured, were travelling from Zaria, in Kaduna State, to Jos, in Plateau State. President Tinubu directs the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to work with other security and intelligence agencies to ensure those responsible for the attack are held accountable.
“The President called for calm, promising not to allow the dastardly act to go unpunished. The Government of Plateau State must take decisive action in handling these vicious cycles of violence.
“The state government must work with security agents to get to the root of this recent incident and use it as a deterrent against future occurrences.
“Freedom of movement by all citizens is non-negotiable. We will not tolerate any attempt by anyone or group of people to curtail that fundamental freedom through acts of extreme violence and fear.
“The President commiserates with the victims’ families and the people and government of Kaduna State.”
The New Diplomat reports that the victims, part of a wedding entourage that included the groom’s father and brother, were ambushed and lynched by unidentified assailants while journeying from Kaduna State to Jos in Plateau State on Friday night.
