Taye Obateru, Peter Duru, Ben Agande, Chinyere Amalu and Anayo Okoli
3 December 2008
AS more corpses of victims of the disturbances in Jos, the Plateau State capital, were recovered yesterday, the Benue State government seems to have taken the bull by the horn in a determination to protect its people by ordering the evacuation of 3,000 of its natives resident in the crisis-ridden city.
The former Benue-Plateau State was split into the present Benue and Plateau States, which explains why Benue natives live in Jos in their large numbers.
Apart from the "immediate evacuation" ordered by Governor Gabriel Suswan yesterday, he also read the riot act to religious leaders, saying no one should preach inciting sermon that could lead to reprisals anywhere in the state.
The evacuation said to be "well coordinated," according to Governor Suswam, is aimed at averting the killing of Benue natives resident in Jos.
The governor who was addressing newsmen against the back drop of the recent blood bath in the neighboring state noted that he was in constant touch with his Plateau State counterpart, offering useful advice on ways and means of curtailing the violence.
He stressed that the decision of his administration to evacuate Benue people resident in Jos was informed by the dimension the crisis was degenerating into.
Suswam regretted that normal electioneering disagreements which ought to be resolved amicably had been allowed to degenerate into a religious crisis which portends danger to the polity.
He said his administration had taken precautionary measures to check the outbreak of similar skirmishes in the state, reiterating that security agencies had been placed on alert to check possible reprisals in his state.
According to him, the Jos violence is an eye opener and a lesson for all political leaders in the country on the need for dialogue and consultations with political stakeholders to avert the kind of mayhem that was unleashed on Jos, just as he commiserated with families that lost loved ones in the violence.
Jang visits Aso Rock
Meantime, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State reportedly visited the Presidential Villa, Abuja yesterday, the first time since the religious crisis in Jos that claimed hundreds of lives.
The governor who was at the villa while the president was away to the National Assembly where he presented the 2009 budget waited for some hours.
A source said the governor later met with Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and an appointment was fixed with the president for today.
In Jos city, the Search and Rescue Committee set up by the state government was said to have recovered more corpses, confirming initial fears that the official number of death put at 200 could be much more.
Also, the state government yesterday dismissed reports that its plans to swear in the newly elected local government chairmen was stopped by President Umaru Yar'Adua, saying such intervention could not have arisen since it was never contemplated.
Five of the fresh corpses discovered were under the Bako bridge in Dilimi area and were in military uniform but it was unclear if they were genuine soldiers or fakes since some of the rioters arrested also wore uniforms.
Vanguard learnt that about 30 corpses were picked up in different locations by the team headed by the state Commissioner for Works, Mr. Solomon Zang, with individual families picking up their dead and making burial arrangements as calm gradually returns.
Meanwhile, the state House of Assembly has asked the state government to immediately commence investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the crisis with a view to bringing those behind it to book.
This was part of the resolutions of the House after discussing the crisis at an executive session yesterday, condemning the destruction of lives and property and urged the various religions to imbibe the spirit of tolerance.
Govs Ohakim, Sambo comment
The governors of Imo and Kaduna states, Chief Ikedi Ohakim and Namadi Sambo, respectively, condemned the crisis in Jos and called on all Nigerians to put all hands on the deck to avoid a repeat of the crisis.
The governors who spoke separately after meeting with President Yar'Adua yesterday said the crisis escalated to the level it did as a result of unemployment in the country and called for all hands on the deck to create jobs in the country.
Also, the United States Mission in Nigeria described as "regrettable" the loss of lives in the Jos riot.
The U.S Mission in a statement yesterday in Abuja also called for peace, tolerance, interfaith dialogue and mutual understanding among Nigerians.
The statement reads in part: "The U.S. Mission to Nigeria deeply regrets the loss of lives in Plateau State over the weekend. We stand with all Nigerians who believe in respect for the diversity of political views, religion, and ethnicity.
"We support efforts by the Nigerian and Plateau State governments that are addressing the humanitarian needs of the communities in the aftermath of the weekend violence.
"As partners with the government and people of Nigeria, we stand with you in calling for peace, tolerance, interfaith dialogue, and mutual understanding."
Another reaction came from the Nigerian Christian Graduates Fellowship (NCGF), a Christian Non-governmental Organisation, which condemned the crisis, saying the riot was a pre-meditated attack on Christians rather than a political issue.
The group alleged that Moslems hid under the umbrella of protesting the result of council elections to massacre Christians.
The group, therefore, called on the Federal Government to muster the political will to stop the crisis and punish those behind it decisively irrespective of who they are. They said such crises had persisted because of government's lukewarm attitude in the past.
Addressing journalists in Aba, yesterday, National President of the Fellowship, Dr. Iheanyi Uwaoma alleged that "as I am talking to you now Christians are still being killed and their houses are being burnt even in the presence of army and policemen."
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