The Senator for Zamfara West, Alhaji Abdul-Aziz Abubakar Yari, has told the people of Benue State and Nigeria in general that President Bola Tinubu was not the type of leader given to empty threats and therefore expressed confidence that he would go after those behind the recent killings in Yelewata, Benue, and bring them to book.
Yari, the Senate Committee Chairman on Water Resources, while condemning what he described as “gruesome murder of the innocent and harmless”, also sought what he identified as “the whole-of-society” approach to combating insecurity.
Addressing the devastating Benue massacre in Abuja yesterday, Yari said the president has not only shown responsible and responsive leadership by identifying with the people of Benue and visiting the state, but his Wednesday “on-the-spot actions” were also marks of a hands-on leader.
According to the former governor of Zamfara State.He said, “The president is capable of containing the situation and even if it means adopting extreme strategies to give every part of the nation peace, he would do it, because he was elected to secure the nation and the people and this much he understands.
“His (Tinubu’s) decision to suspend everything he was doing and keep others on hold is worthy of note. If we understood the responsibilities associated with the president’s office, we would see the empathy in his decision to visit Benue personally.
“He could have delegated a high-powered team to visit and stand in for him while he went on with his other commitments. But he decided to show leadership and identify with the people, who showed him love through their votes and believed in him personally and as a leader.
“I can assure the people of Benue and Nigeria in general that those behind this dastardly act will not get away with their mindlessness. Those in charge of security also know the implications of not living up to billing, so no one is kidding here.
“The criminals will be apprehended sooner than we all can ever imagine. The president doesn’t issue an empty threat. He meant what he said and said what he meant. They will not get away with this; whatever their motive was, we will also unravel soon. But, ultimately, this madness has to stop, and it will stop.”
Yari, however, appealed to the people to also see the security of the society as their business and responsibility.
“Together, we can all confront this menace and decimate it. We need the whole-of-society approach to defeat this monster and common enemy. This is the time we all must put on our intelligence garb.
“Everybody – every citizen – must become an intelligence officer for the sake of the sanity of the society. We all must pay attention to happenings around us and give timely and pivotal information to relevant authorities to nip the menace in the bud.”
He, therefore, commiserated with the people and government of Benue State; the families who lost their loved ones in the killings and also prayed for those still recuperating in the various hospitals across the state, saying the Almighty Allah would perfect their healing.
