The Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM) condemns in the strongest terms the barbaric and gruesome murder of innocent commuting Nigerians from Bauchi to Ikare Ondo state at Jos North junction along Rukuba road in Jos North local government council area of Plateau State on Saturday 14th of August, 2021.
We are indeed saddened and traumatized by this heinous crime against God, humanity and the laws of the federal republic of Nigeria by agents of darkness who perpetrated this evil act and insist that they must be fished out to face the full wrath of the law at all cost within the confines of the law.
Despite being in a mournful mood, we sincerely commend the security agencies especially operatives of Operation Safe Haven and the Nigeria police force whom from reports monitored, responded promptly to distress call in reducing the carnage by rescuing some of the victims and accessing them medical assistance.
We must also commend President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Simon Lalong for their prompt condemnation and directives to security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of this act of barbarism and criminality.
However we condemn in strong terms, the irresponsible, insensitive, inciting, reckless and callous press statement of the Ondo state government as issued by the governor’s chief press secretary Mr. Robert Olatunde that, “The Governor says from the report he received from his brother Governor in Plateau, the incident was a case of mistaken identity” as reported in a national newspaper published on the 15th of August, 2021.
By this irresponsible statement of Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, he is implying that the extra judicial killing of innocent Nigerians is justified and acceptable so long as the identity of those killed or those to be killed is not mistaken. This is very barbaric.
With this latest provocative comment of Mr. Akeredolu which is in his character and a stock in trade of some highly placed Nigerians like himself who have formed the insensitive and inhuman habit of stoking up ethnic and religious tensions with reckless and inciting comments, it has become imperative for the security agencies to investigate this comment and now henceforth, beam their searchlights on these persons and hold them responsible and accountable for incitement and aiding crimes against humanity and the laws of the federal republic of Nigeria.
We wish to use this medium to enjoin Nigerians of all religions and ethnic nations to be sober in this moment of national grief and refuse to be instrument to stoke up ethnic tension and religious tensions by this act of criminality.
We at CPPM commiserate with the immediate and extended families of the deceased as we wish them eternal rest, we also hope that the injured will get well quick.
We once again appeal and admonish the security agencies to ensure that these killers are fished out and made to answer for their crime as soon as possible, this will go a long way to sending out the signal that ours is a society that will not tolerate such acts of barbarism no matter the provocation.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thanks.
Yours Sincerely,
Nelson Ekujumi,
Executive Chairman.
