Plateau killings: Death toll nears 200 as PDP berates Tinubu’s APC
The Management Committee Chairman of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State has announced that 148 people were killed in the Christmas Eve attack in the council.
The updated death toll raised the number of casualties in the violent attack in three local government areas of the state to 195.
So far, 148 people have been killed in Bokkos Local Government Area, 19 in Mangu Local Government Area, and 27 in Barkin Ladi.
Monday Kassa, Chairman of the Bokkos Local Government’s Management Committee, stated yesterday that reports available to the council suggest that 148 people have died, 88 people are undergoing treatment in various hospitals, 1,290 houses have been set ablaze, and 25 communities have been attacked.
He said, “These attacks are unprovoked and they were well coordinated by our assailants because they took place in all the 25 communities simultaneously.”
In the meantime, the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, has condemned the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress, APC, administration over its failure to tackle security challenges facing the nation despite the party’s campaign promises.
Ologunagba said: “Our party berates President Tinubu for always resorting to lame presidential condemnation by his media aides without any corresponding definite steps to protect Nigerians and stop this constant carnage in our nation.
“President Tinubu has practically abdicated his constitutional role as President and Commander-in-Chief, which is principal to ensure the security of lives and property, thus abandoning Nigerians to terrorists, bandits and marauders.
“Nigerians will recall how President Tinubu in his nationwide broadcast of July 31, 2023, had no words of commitment for security despite the escalated killing of over 500 Nigerians and many more abducted in Plateau, Benue, Niger, Kaduna and other states of the federation at that time.
“Even with the disturbing information that no fewer than 5,060 Nigerians were killed, with 2,263 others abducted since May 2023, as contained in the 2023 Nigeria Security Report by Beacon Consulting, which was also reported in the media, the Tinubu-led APC administration remains largely nonchalant and silent.
“There are apprehensions that what is happening in Plateau State is genocide and the Tinubu-led APC administration must be held responsible for the mindless killing under its watch, having failed in its constitutional role as provided in Section 14 (2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which states that “security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”.
“The PDP restates its demand for an urgent legislative public inquest into the killings as well as the undesirable disposition of the APC government on issues of insecurity in the country.
“The International Criminal Court, ICC, is also invited to commence an independent investigation to unravel the sponsors and perpetrators of this act of genocide.
“In this regard, special attention must be paid to prominent former and current leaders of the APC, who have at various times been alleged to have overtly encouraged, promoted, incited and endorsed acts of terrorism and genocide.
“This is especially against the backdrop of reports that over 63,000 Nigerians have been murdered by terrorists and bandits in the eight and half years of the Buhari/Tinubu APC-led government.
“While saluting the courage of patriotic security personnel, who remain unwavering in securing our nation despite the challenges, our party deeply commiserates with the families of the victims of these mindless killings enabled by the APC in Plateau State and other parts of the country and prays to God to bring succour to the wounded and the displaced.
“The party also demands that the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and other relevant government agencies step up to provide required support to those wounded and displaced in the attacks.”
