Police arrest 96 Fulanis over the Sunday's massacre


Meanwhile the Plateau State Police Command said that about 96 persons had been arrested over the massacre, with the Police spokesman, Mohammed Lerama, indicating in a statement, that four of the fleeing Fulanis were shot dead by the security men.

Speaking at the workshop on peace organized by the Institute for Governance and Social Research, Gowon lamented that the peaceful nature for which Plateau was known had been disrupted. He said the issues must be addressed honestly to resolve the problem.

While reiterating his commitment to one indivisible country, Gowon recalled that it was this commitment that made him resort to the use of force to keep the country one during the civil war.

He said: “Those who know me know that I have been on the side of peaceful resolution of all conflicts. If you will recall, as head of state, I did all that was possible to secure a peaceful resolution of the Nigerian crisis in the second half of the 1960s. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control, I had to use force to preserve the unity of our nation.”

Second Republic President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, regretted that present leaders of the country were not doing enough to sustain the unity of the country which former leaders stood and fought for.

He lamented: “if past national leaders fought to keep the unity of this country like Gowon did and late J.S Tarkar fought to keep the Middle Belt one, what are the present leaders doing to sustain the unity of Nigeria and Middle Belt?”


From right, Acting President Goodluck Jonathan; the National Security Adviser, Alh. Seriki Mukhtar while the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Danbazau (l) watched at the opening of a crucial security meeting at the State House, Abuja.
Photo by Abayomi Adeshida
The conference was almost disrupted by pandemonium in the town following rumour of an outbreak of violence in some parts. This led to shut down of business houses and schools as people ran helter-skelter and scampered to their homes. However, there was calm after a while as people went about their businesses with most shops remaining shut throughout the day.

Troops deployed

Authorities deployed troops to arrest the marauding gangs that rampaged across villages near the city centre, where hundreds died in clashes early this year. Under fire for failing to prevent another outburst of sectarian violence, authorities said they had arrested scores of people in connection with the attacks.

Agency reports said that Muslim residents of the villages had been warned by phone text messages, two days prior to the attack, so they could make good their escape.

Dozens of university students, yesterday, carried placards outside a Jos hotel where several former heads of state and the state government held a peace conference.


Sarki Mukhtar
Placards read: ‘We want peace in Plateau State’ and ‘Say no to genocide’.

In Bukuru and Dadin Kowa on the fringes of Jos, police fired warning shots to disperse protesters and rounded up youths trying to demonstrate, according to a police source.

Witnesses meanwhile described how victims in Sunday’s three-hour systematic sin assembly of violence, mainly women and children, were caught in animal traps and fishing nets as they tried to flee attackers who hacked them to death.

Vatican expresses sadness, concern

The Vatican, yesterday, lamented “horrible acts of violence” committed by machete-wielding gangs. Vatican spokesman, Federico Lombardi, told a news agency that the church reacted with “sadness and concern” to the violence in Jos, blaming it on Muslim pastoralists.

Asked to comment on the nature of the conflict, Lombardi deferred to Nigerian church authorities. The Archbishop of Abuja, John Onaiyekan, told Vatican Radio, yesterday, that the violence was rooted not in religion but in social, economic, tribal and cultural differences.


Aliyu Gusau
Ban Ki-moon appeals for calm

The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, also appealed for “maximum restraint” amid revulsion at the slaughter of more than 500 Christians, as survivors told how the killers chopped down their victims.

Survivors said the attackers were able to separate the Fulanis from members of the rival Berom group by chanting ‘nagge’, the Fulani word for cattle. Those who failed to respond in the same language were hacked to death.

One report said the gangs shouted Allahu Akhbar before breaking into homes and setting them alight in the early hours of Sunday. Churches were among the buildings that were burnt down. Ban told reporters he was “deeply concerned,” adding: “I appeal to all concerned to exercise maximum restraint.”

200 hospitalized after attack – Plateau govt

The Plateau State Information Commissioner, Gregory Yenlong, who gave details of the attacks said more than 200 people had been hospitalized in Jos.

He said: “Most of the survivors are … receiving treatment. Over 200 are admitted in hospitals in Jos. People were attacked with axes, daggers and cutlasses – many of them children, the aged and pregnant women. Churches, houses and food stores were torched and crops were slashed with cutlasses.”

Atiku seeks improved intelligence gathering

Meantime, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has tasked security agencies in the country to improve their intelligence gathering mechanism to be able to prevent the frequent massacre of innocent people in internal conflicts in the country.

Condemning the weekend killings in Jos, Plateau State in a statement, yesterday, Atiku called on the government to bring the perpetrators of what he described as a massacre to book.

He said: “Such horrific massacre of innocent people, especially women and children, has assumed a disturbing trend in the country and all those behind it must be prosecuted. Such killings dehumanize all of us. Nigerian security forces must review and overhaul their intelligence gathering capability to be able to nip in the bud this sort of wanton loss of lives and property.”

Atiku who said he was worried by the culture of impunity and brazenness with which these crimes were being committed, stressed that both the Federal Government and the Plateau State Government must do every thing possible to protect the lives of the people.

http://odili.net/news/source/2010/mar/9/399.html

Can we light a fire to burn them alive?

thank God, this is a step in d right direction, smh, its so sad that it still wont resurrect the dead.

Everytime its step in the right direction. Can we get it right for once?. Another set will rise and massacre people in the next 6 months and another step in the right direction will be taken. The best is to let this people merge with Chad . I promise you the killings will stop.

Quote from Gowan.

If you will recall, as head of state, I did all that was possible to secure a peaceful resolution of the Nigerian crisis in the second half of the 1960s. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control, I had to use force to preserve the unity of our nation.”

So killing thousands of innocent Igbo woman and children is the way to secure  a peaceful resolution of Nigerian crisis in the half of the 1960's right.

Somebody needs to tell that old man to pls go and find a corner sit down and just keep his mouth shoot.

Aloy+Emeka:

Everytime its step in the right direction. Can we get it right for once?. Another set will rise and massacre people in the next 6 months and another step in the right direction will be taken. The best is to let this people merge with Chad . I promise you the killings will stop.

Supported

Why is Gowon referring to his role in the 1967 Civil war if not for guilt?
I am beginning to sense that it is clear to him now that he made a big mistake and his conscience is pricking hard on him.

GOWON, GOWON . . . . The chicken has come to roost!
The coin with which you paid the Igbos with is being used to pay you back. This time, no one may feel sorry for you.

I just hope they would not do one 'abracadabra' and release them.

I dont trust Nigerian Police.

OAM4J:

I just hope they would not do one 'abracadabra' and release them.

I dont trust Nigerian Police.

abi o

Well, much as I feel sori 4d victims, I tink dis is wat d Ibos ve bin sufferin since independence & nobody saw it as genocide or massacre. hope gen Gowon & his co-middle belters now feels d pain! Moreover, dis attack succeded cos d Ibos protectin d natives were not much there.

Ellyptical:

Why is Gowon referring to his role in the 1967 Civil war if not for guilt?
I am beginning to sense that it is clear to him now that he made a big mistake and his conscience is pricking hard on him.

GOWON, GOWON . . . . The chicken has come to roost!
The coin with which you paid the Igbos with is being used to pay you back. This time, no one may feel sorry for you.

Me I don't know o. may be he is trying to calm down the Fulanis by helping them remember what he did for them between 1967-1970 and how they are paying him back by killing his own people but hausa/Fulani no send you nau.

Gowon happens to be the initiator of massacre, so he need not complain

Can we divide this nation already?

death by firing squad and make sure its televised!

I hope they truly have the real people and not some act of "get some people off the street" to silent the world.
Shagari now talking about present govt, what did he do when he has the opportunity as the head of state?

Ellyptical:

Why is Gowon referring to his role in the 1967 Civil war if not for guilt?
I am beginning to sense that it is clear to him now that he made a big mistake and his conscience is pricking hard on him.

GOWON, GOWON . . . . The chicken has come to roost!
The coin with which you paid the Igbos with is being used to pay you back. This time, no one may feel sorry for you.

exactly my man. wat goes around comes around.

dafman10:

exactly my man. wat goes around comes around.

Lol

EzeUche:

Can we divide this nation already?

more like yesterday

No peace for the wicked; justice on the horizon at least

^^^ Hope so oh

Aloy+Emeka:



Atiku who said he was worried by the culture of impunity and brazenness with which these crimes were being committed, stressed that both the Federal Government and the Plateau State Government must do every thing possible to protect the lives of the people.

http://odili.net/news/source/2010/mar/9/399.html

Imagine the opportunistic,gluttonous and unpatriotic thief like atiku ranting the above statement.I wonder who nigerian politicians think they are deceiving when they yarn all this nonsense,they tend to forget that it is the repercusions of their inhuman and unpatriotic actions that innocent citizens are suffering today in nigeria.

A case of the chicken coming back home to roost

Na wa ooh

Nigerian leaders past and present are not in any way in the position to condemn crime or evil because to all the eyes that can see,they the the embodiment of crimes and evil and the root cause of nigerian syndromes-suffernng and backwardness.

redsun:

Nigerian leaders past and present are not in any way in the position to condemn crime or evil because to all the eyes that can see,they the the embodiment of crimes and evil and the root cause of nigerian syndrome-sufferinng.

Full gbammmmmmmmmmmmmm

Nigeria can never make with role models as criminals,never.Until people begin to see the hardworking market woman or road side mechanic as more useful and more patriotic citizens than the likes of thieves like obasanjo,ibori and co,we will never get a grip of the situation

redsun:

Nigeria can never make with role models as criminals,never.Until people begin to see the hardworking market woman or road side mechanic as more useful and more patriotic citizens than the likes of thieves like obasanjo,ibori and co,we will never get a grip of the situation

U have said it all

redsun:

Nigeria can never make with role models as criminals,never.Until people begin to see the hardworking market woman or road side mechanic as more useful and more patriotic citizens than the likes of thieves like obasanjo,ibori and co,we will never get a grip of the situation

You are right on target but that'll be the day!

I will like to see the day too, when we celebrate the hard working people

they'll be released by weekend cos they're innocent, ezeuche what do you think?

18 platoon:

they'll be released by weekend cos they're innocent, ezeuche what do you think?

ummmm . . . Ok oh

am not joking, we'll get our innocent brothers released cos they where just defending themselves, enought is enought.

redsun:

Nigerian leaders past and present are not in any way in the position to condemn crime or evil because to all the eyes that can see,they the the embodiment of crimes and evil and the root cause of nigerian syndromes-suffernng and backwardness.

are you speaking english or your local village lingo