The Federal Government has initiated the prompt distribution of both food and non-food relief items to communities and survivors impacted by the Christmas Eve assaults carried out by marauding gunmen in Plateau state.
Betta Edu, Nigeria’s Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, made this statement during an interview with journalists in Jos, the capital of Plateau state.
The Minister and counterparts from the Ministry of Defence and Service Chiefs conducted on-the-spot assessments in affected communities, coordinating humanitarian responses on the ground.
In a statement, Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, mentioned that Edu visited churches and IDP camps, addressing worshipers and victims seeking refuge.
She assured of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to offering lasting solutions, including security response and resettlement for those residing in the state. She emphasized the immediate availability of humanitarian relief, aligning with the presidential directive. Durable solutions will be implemented during the rebuilding process to facilitate the return to ancestral homes.
Betta Edu highlighted her ministry’s collaboration with the Nigerian Military and the Plateau State Government to distribute relief materials.
In her words: “The President has asked us to come to Plateau state to see what was on the ground; he has also directed the immediate deployment of relief materials including food items like Rice, Grains, vegetable oil and non-food items like mattresses, clothes, and Blankets among others, as well as other personal effects they will need while we plan for more durable solutions to their needs to enable them go back to their ancestral homes.
Tragically, on Christmas Eve, unidentified gunmen orchestrated coordinated attacks in about 15 communities across Barkin Ladi, Mangu, and Bokkos local government areas of Plateau state, resulting in the massacre of approximately 107 individuals.
The attackers additionally set ablaze no fewer than 100 houses during the horrendous attacks, drawing condemnation globally.
Muhammad Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State Defense, accompanied by the three service chiefs, Airforce, Army, and Navy, assured Plateau’s people and government of protection during their visit. Caleb Mutfwang, the governor of Plateau State, had earlier briefed them on the current situation in a closed-door meeting.
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