By Jude Owuamanam, Jos
National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu has urged Plateau State communities to work harder for peace to prevent recurring crises. He spoke on Sunday at the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) headquarters in Jos, following deadly attacks in Bokkos Local Government Area that killed at least 52 people, as reported by TheSun.ng.
Ribadu, sent by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assess the situation, said lessons from past sectarian violence would stop repeats. “The sad part of it is that when people who live together as one in communities, from time to time, tend to be unable to control issues that could probably be resolved through peaceful dialogue,” he said. “And then miscreants, criminals, will take advantage. And little things will spark things that will get out of control.”
He promised better security. “We are learning lessons from it. But I can assure you, things have improved, and it will even be better as we continue,” Ribadu added. “This incident that we witnessed, we learned. Hopefully, we will not see it again.” He noted a 90% drop in crises due to security efforts and urged communities to stay vigilant.
Ribadu called for accurate reporting. “We have lost many people. But it’s not exactly like the figures you see out there. But even one soul lost is a lot,” he said. “We also appeal to the media to verify and report accurate, appropriate information. Telling the truth helps us get through this together.”
He stressed peace as key. “The president is saying: enough is enough. It has to stop. Whatever it takes, whatever we have done to achieve this level of improvement—relatively—we are going to double it,” Ribadu vowed. “Without peace, nothing can work—no progress, no growth, no development, no education, no health—nothing.”