The Mindless Killings in Jos and Nigeria’s Culture of Impunity
The gruesome murder of two PDP legislators; Daylop Datong and Gyang Filani, at the mass funeral for 22 slain residents of Kakuruk Village in Barikin Ladi Local Government Area has further confirmed that Nigeria is indeed under the siege of frightening insecurity. Senator Daylop Datong, Chairman Senate Committee on Health and Mr. Filani, the Majority Leader of Plateau state House of Assembly until their unfortunate death were said to be amongst mourners who were at a mass funeral for the victims of weekend massacre in Kakuruk village in Barkin Ladi when they were reportedly ambushed by unknown armed invaders some of whom reportedly dressed in police and military camouflages.
It is indeed painful that that the horrendous loss of innocent lives in the needless and unwarranted organised violence in Jos has so far been encouraged by the culture of impunity that is almost a standard in Nigeria. whereas, so many lives have been lost in Jos since 2001, no significant attempt has been made to apprehend and bring the perpetrators of the crimes to justice. There is no doubt that the government has lost the confidence of the people as a result of its failure to deal with the crises by ensuring that justice was done. The question now is for how long would the senseless killings in Jos continue. But the danger ahead appears more daunting as no one is sure of the dimension of the violence giving the deep-seated undertones of ethnic and religious disharmonies in Plateau
It is recalled that the renewed mindless carnage in the once peaceful Jos, Plateau state capital over the weekend is coming at the heels of latest measures by the federal government to reinvigorate the security network with the appointment two weeks ago of a new national security adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan. Although the latest killing of two prominent politicians in Plateau state, as expected, has begun to draw widespraed outrage locally and internationally, it must be noted that the incident bear the trappings of similar orgies which have characterised ethnic and religious upheavals in the recent past in which many villages and innocent inhabitants have fallen victims of unprovoked attacks by unknown invaders.
Plateau state has been on constant and repeated boil since 2001 when ethnic crisis boke out between the Hausas and indigenes of Jos. Indeed, Jos North local government has not known peace as social, economic and religious activities have been hindered with hundreds on internally displaced residents. Invasion of villages and killings of innocent citizens including the elderly and children has become a gory picturesque of unabated crisis for which the once peaceful Plateau state was known for. There is no doubt that the recent incident has again brought to the fore the huge gap in the capacity of our security system in tackling the hydra-headed crisis.
As usual, the government at the state and federal levels has again reiterated commitment to bringing the perpetrators of the heinous crime to justice. While the Nigerians and civilised people around the world would again hold the government accountable on this pledge, it is doubtful if anything cogent would be heard after the outraged must have subsided and that is if the incident is not soon overshadowed by yet another major incident of disastrous dimension.
We join well meaning people across the world in denouncing the unwarranted killings in Plateau state. We would like to emphasise that that the killings of Senator Datong and others amount a huge affront to which Nigeria government need to take seriously. Nigerians and the global community must frown at the habitual impunity in Jos, Plateau state which is a huge slap on the integrity of the government and people of our dear country.
