A rights’ advocate, Prince Tajudeen Oyedeji, has condoled with the government and people of Plateau State over the recent massacre in the state where hundreds of innocent souls were lost their lives and property, expressing regret over the incessant killings of innocent people in the land.

The political scientist, who strongly condemned the Plateau saga, described the killing of innocent souls as painful to the marrow. He sympathised with the families of those who lost their lives in the massacre, praying to God to give them fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Prince Oyedeji, who is Executive Director, Centre for Good Governance and Rights Advocacy (CENGGRA), called for national discourse over the incessant killings across the country, urging the government and security agents to be alive to their constitutional responsibilities of protecting lives and property of the citizenry.

In a signed message to condone the Plateau State government and her people over the dastard act, which copies were made available to journalists, he blamed the security apparatus in the land on the poor intelligent gathering mechanism which they might have been used to put the incident under control, noting that “it is a shame on the part of the government and security agents of the country before the international community that such senseless killings could occur for almost six hours without security alertness”.

He, therefore, urged the security agents in the country to work hard on how to revive their weaken intelligence gathering mechanism in order to forestall future occurrence.

According to Oyedeji, “The spate of killings and wanton destruction of properties and farmland in Plateau, Benue, Taraba and other affected States caught our attention at Centre for Good Governance and Rights Advocacy (CENGGRA) and we are indeed pained for the loss of both human, financial and capital resources needed for the growth of a nation at this time Nigeria is just recovering from economic downturn.

“As an organisation advocating good governance and people’s rights, we condemn in totality the incessant killings of innocent lives thereby depriving them of their fundamental right to life as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). This barbaric act is an indictment of failure on those entrusted with the constitutional provision of securing lives, properties and integrity of the nation at all levels.

“The rights of the people to live, associate, worship and movement without any coercion as provided for by the national laws must be guaranteed while policies that will accommodate the interests of farmers, landowners and cattle rearing business should, as a matter of urgency be implemented to end incessant farmers-landowners and herdsmen attacks.

“Though, the crises in the Northcentral States are product of unresolved questions of our Statehood which their causes range from ethnic domination, citizenship/residency status of settlers in areas different from theirs, religion and power tussles among the contending political forces in the affected States, we at CENGGRA, therefore, call on President Muhammad Buhari and the governors of affected States to be alive to their responsibilities of defending the territorial integrity of the nation from both internal and external aggressions”.

He further said: “We also call for a genuine national discuss to address this fundamental issue without further delay. We condemned in strong terms the unguarded statements of some religious leaders in the country, who at this time, ought to be comforters, advocate of peace and unity for religionism by making comments capable of further dividing the nation”.

“Lastly, we call for a credible electoral process because it is through that, a sincere and government that's committed to the wellbeing of the citizenry, that has respect for rule of law and sanctity of lives will emerge, thereby laying foundation for good governance which is the core objective of our organisation.”

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