Tinubu once blamed Jonathan for christian deaths but now as President; He is shifting the responsibility to Mutfwang.
NewsOnline Nigeria recalls that in January 20i4, President Bola Tinubu criticised former president Goodluck Jonathan for the killing of Christian worshippers in the Northeast, saying it was his duty to protect Nigerians.
Tinubu back then said that not being able to protect the Christian worshippers who werekilled in Borno and Adamawa states suggested the incompetence of the president at such a time.
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“The slaughtering of Christian worshippers is strongly condemnable. It calls into question the competence of Jonathan to protect Nigerians,” he wrote in 2014.
However, eleven years later, Tinubu is now urging Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau to resolve the recent killings rocking his state.
Dumping the responsibility on Mutfwang’s laps, Tinubu said that the governor should resolve underlying communal issues to tackle the crisis.
He added that while the federal government would support the governor in promoting peace in the state, Mutfwang must first stop the retaliatory attacks.
“I have instructed security agencies to thoroughly investigate this crisis and identify those responsible for orchestrating these violent acts. We cannot allow this devastation and the tit-for-tat attacks to continue. Enough is enough,” Tinubu said.
“Beyond dealing with the criminal elements of these incessant killings, the political leadership in Plateau State, led by Governor Caleb Mutfwang, must address the root cause of this age-long problem.
“These problems have been with us for more than two decades. We can no longer ignore the underlying issues. It is time to tackle them fairly and find a lasting solution. I have discussed these problems with the governor over time and offered suggestions for lasting peace.
“The Federal Government remains committed to supporting Governor Mutfwang and the Plateau State government in promoting dialogue, fostering social cohesion, and ensuring accountability — crucial steps towards permanently resolving the conflict in Plateau.”
Meanwhile, this is not the first time comments of Tinubu criticising opposition for the challenges his administration has been unable to resolve has surfaced.
In April 2014, the Tinubu said that the job of securing the citizens of Nigeria rests with the president, who must stop the activities of Boko Haram terrorists.
In April 2014, he also demanded that Jonathan be queried for the deaths in Yanyan, Abuja.
“My heart bleeds for our people and the country over the deaths in Yanyan. A government unable to protect its citizens deserves to be queried,” he said.
On Monday, about fifty Christians were killed by gunmen who attacked Zikke and Kakpa communities in Bassa Local Government Area, Plateau.
The gunmen stormed the communities at midnight on Monday, shooting at residents and setting their homes on fire.
Residents of the community told the media that the attack from the invaders lasted one hour, with many people sustaining injuries. Some of them said they were on patrol in another community when the attackers invaded the village and started to shoot.
Security personnel were unable to repel the attackers as dozens of residents were killed by bullets.
The killings in Bassa came barely two weeks after 52 persons were killed in Ruwi, Mangor, Daffo, Manguna, Hurti and Tadai communities of Bokkos LGA in Plateau.
SinceTinubu became president in 2023, at least 450 Christians have been killed in a series of targeted attacks on their home communities in Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa states.
