By Samuel Aruwan
Kaduna
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) yesterday condemned Tuesday’s twin bombings in Jos, the plateau state capital, which killed over 100 persons and left many with injury.
The Forum also said the insurgency ravaging the region was undermining its economy and social life.
In a statement issued by its spokesman, Alhaji Muhammadu Ibrahim, it said: “The twin bomb blasts that occurred yesterday evening in the market of Jos town, Plateau state was wicked, gruesome and condemnable considering the huge destruction of property and loss of lives it caused. The Northern part of Nigeria has witnessed and experienced too many bomb blasts in the last six years which have distorted the economic life of the region, thereby undermining our socio-economic development.”
The statement added that insurgency was responsible for the dwindling of North’s economy, saying: “Activities of dreaded Boko Haram sect in the North is most unfortunate as innocent people have continued to suffer unjustly for the sect’s perceived grievances. We, therefore, appeal to the perpetrators of these crimes to embrace the civilised way of addressing them.”
It added: “ACF finds it agonising and traumatic to always condemn such barbaric acts by insurgents and gunmen. The Forum, therefore, calls on governments to take proactive measures that will halt the occurrence of these dastardly acts.
Furthermore, governments should implement the recommendations of past similar bomb blasts reports that were investigated and immediately prosecute the arrested suspects rather than keeping them in perpetual detention without trial. ACF extends its heartfelt sympathy to the families of those killed and injured in this unfortunate incident. ACF equally calls on the National and state Emergency Management Agencies to immediately provide rehabilitation facilities to the injured and displaced persons.”