Governor Simon Lalung has blamed the complications in the security situation in the State on some traditional and religious leaders that shield them from the arms of the law.
Governor, Lalung who answered reporters’ questions today, Tuesday, shortly after leading members of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) to visit President Muhammad Buhari, said that criminals who go about killing people are being encouraged by community leaders or religious leaders who fight to protect them.
“That is why we have problems. If they had exposed the killers of General Alkali earlier everything would have been solved. But where you have community and religious leaders who claimed to be religious, who claimed to be religious leaders hiding criminals, there would always be problem.”
The governor said that he has now evolved a system of checking criminals in the State, saying: “if I catch you or get any criminal activities in your domain, we will hold the community and religious leaders responsible. We cannot claim to live in a community and we don’t know the criminals and who are good people.”
Governor Lalung said that he and his team have been searching for peace and that they would appreciate and support any move for peace in the State.
He said that the killing of General Alkali was a great set back on the effort of his government to bring peace to the State. And I have also charged community leaders just like Mr. President said, I said if you want to ensure peace in your place, community leaders must also come out and expose criminals in their domain.
“I insisted that this investigation must be done to the later: they must investigate and find out those who killed the General and other people that were slaughtered on that road. So by this they are beginning to expose the reason for some of the crisis.
“And I always appeal that in a society like Plateau, we must learn to live together. It is not be chance that people were born outside Plateau, God brought us together and so if we want peace we must embrace each other and we must also give opportunity for people to come and live in our state.”
