Plan International Nigeria, has expressed dissatisfaction at the recent killings of over a hundred people in the communities of Bokkos and parts of Barkin-Ladi in Plateau state by bandits on Christmas Eve.
Plan International in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday by its Communication Advisor, Yunus Abdulhamid, called on relevant authorities and stakeholders to work at finding a lasting solution to the underlying issues.
Abdulhamid quoted the Country Director of the Organisation, Charles Usie to have
noted that the state, and especially the communities had experienced a decades-long crisis, deeply rooted in ethnic, political, economic, and religious differences.
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Usie described the incident as “a horrific incident that also left hundreds wounded and many others displaced, with the attendant disruption of livelihood and normal activities.”
Expressing worries over the magnitude of the loss of lives in the attack, he said: “This unimaginable toll of loss will have weighty effects on the affected communities and the whole of Plateau State.
“There is a need to note that this situation will give rise to limited or no access to education, health, water, food, and other social amenities in the affected communities.
“It is also crucial to pay special attention
to the huge impact of the incident on the most vulnerable populace, especially children, girls, young women, the aged and persons with disabilities.
“The already challenging living conditions of these groups are definitely going to be further exacerbated by this incident, leaving them more vulnerable,” he said.
He further said that beyond the affected communities and Plateau State, without prompt and adequate response and intervention, incidents as this might encourage a repeat of such dastardly acts by groups.
He added that it could also deepen the erosion of trust in the security architecture among the citizenry.
The organisation therefore called on community and religious leaders, the government, all peace agencies and other stakeholders to take sustainable actions towards ensuring more efficient crises management.
“It is imperative to establish crises readiness and preparedness structures, and strengthen peace building platforms within the state for more cohesive and harmonious co-existence among diverse population.
“We call on the government to take critical steps towards bringing an end to the repeated killing of her citizens. We call for immediate action now,” the country director said.
