PLATEAU STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON INTERRELIGIOUS HARMONY FROWNS AT ANGWAN RUKUBA ATTACK, SAYS IT IS ACT OF TERRORISM
The Plateau State Advisory Council on Interreligious Harmony received with shock and deep sadness the unprovoked attack on residents of Gari Ya Waye in Angwan Rukuba community of Jos North Local Government Area on Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026, as not only barbaric but one that goes against the doctrines and teachings of Christianity and Islam.
This heinous act of inhumanity especially coming at a time that Christians were observing a Holy Week is disturbing and unacceptable and therefore should be condemned by all right thinking members of the society.
Council prays for the peaceful repose of the lives of those who died in the unfortunate attack and commiserates with families that are grieving the loss of loved ones, the government and people of Plateau State. To those who sustained various degrees of injuries, we pray god to quicken the healing he has started in their lives.
The Plateau State Advisory Council on Interreligious Harmony is a body comprising of religious leaders and Heads of various religious denominations as well as other imminent opinion leaders constituted by the Plateau State government to help provide a moral compass for the government and citizens of Plateau State.
This latest act of violence unleashed on innocent citizens has nothing to do with religion but it is purely an act of terrorism and an attempt by some questionable elements whose grand design is to pitch both Christians and Muslims against one another in their evil desire to set Plateau State and other parts of Nigeria on a precipice. Citizens must do all within its powers to resist this clandestine attempt to destroy our common patrimony regardless of the level of provocation.
Council particularly commends the Executive Governor of Plateau State, His Excellency, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang for his swift response to halt the further spread of violence. We are delighted that your administration’s timely intervention has in variably destroyed the insinuations that the violent attack has a religious coloration. We therefore urge your government to go after these criminals and treat as the terrorists that they are and nothing less.
We also commend the security operatives who have been working tirelessly to bring these culprits to book. Council is not unmindful of the capacity of our security operatives to unmask, arrests and prosecute these merchants of death in accordance with the extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The various security agencies operating within the state and beyond should note that their reputation is at stake and they possess the wherewithal to go after them wherever they may be and whoever their sponsors are.
Council equally calls on the Federal Government of Nigeria to treat all those unleashing mayhem on innocent citizens across the country as enemies of the state and terrorists because they have undermined the sovereignty of Nigeria and the sanctity of human lives and, thus should not be allowed to further drag the name of the country into disrepute.
We use this opportunity to call on the youth and other clerics who use the social media to spread inciting messages and hate amongst citizens to desist forthwith even as we call on security agencies to check this disturbing trend.
As a council, we will continue to sensitize our members to preach, teach and practice the tenets of our various religious beliefs in such a way and manner that will promote understanding, peace and harmony for the benefit of humanity in line with teachings of our religions.
Rev. Prof. Pandang Yamsat
Co-Chairman
HRH Alh. Muhammad Sambo-HarunaII
Co-Chairman.
