We don’t Want Your Relief Materials, Displaced Persons Tell Gov Lalong

We Want To Go back to Our Homes, Displaced Persons Tell Gov Lalong

The Plateau State Government has condemned the attack on Governor Simon Lalong’s convoy after his visit to an Internally Displaced Camp in Jos South Local Government yesterday,Naija News understands.

The convoy was attacked by angry youths who damaged vehicles, including those belonging to the press corps, security and relief agencies.

Stones were thrown at the governor’s car and the vehicles of his entourage that included his Deputy, Prof. Sonni Tyoden while windscreen of many cars were smashed but the governor escaped unhurt as stones could not penetrate his bullet proof car.

When Governor Lalong arrived at the IDP camp, the displaced persons started murmuring: “We don’t want relief materials, we want to go back to our ancestral homes”.

Commissioner for information, Yakubu Dati, says certain unpatriotic elements are bent on returning the state to the sad era of blood letting by instigating religious and ethnic hatred.

“The hoodlums, acting on the script of their sponsors, laid ambush on the highway and attacked the Governor’s convoy with stones, rods and other unidentified objects, damaging vehicles in the convoy including those belonging to the press corp, security and relief agencies” he stated.

The statement said that the hoodlums laid ambush on the highway and attacked the governor‘s convoy with stones, rods and other unidentified objects.

“They damaged vehicles in the convoy including those belonging to the press corp, security and relief agencies. “The attack is coming at the heels of a similar invasion on the Plateau State Government House about two weeks ago, where government properties, vehicles of civil servants and visitors running into millions of naira were destroyed.

“Government finds it regrettable that while its efforts at restoring peace is yielding results, certain unpatriotic elements are bent on returning our state to the sad era of blood letting by instigating religious and ethnic hatred, for cheap political gains,” it said.

According to the statement, government views the attacks as an affront on the authority and would take appropriate measures to checkmate merchants of division and death.

Mr Lalong in the statement assured citizens that government would not relent in ensuring that the safety of citizens was guaranteed and the relative peace sustained.