President Bola Tinubu has consoled families of victims of the recent attack in Angwan Rukuba in Jos north LGA, Plateau state, saying such an incident will not happen again.
Suspected bandits attacked a popular bar in the community on Sunday evening, killing several people and injuring many others.
The Plateau state police command said 28 people died in the attack, prompting the state government to impose a 48-hour curfew in the affected local government area.
The attack sparked outrage on social media after a viral video showed a middle-aged woman clutching the lifeless body of her teenage son, Promise, urging him to breathe and wake up.
Speaking in Jos, the capital of Plateau, on Thursday, Tinubu sympathized with the victims’ families, saying no amount of compensation can make up for their loss.
“There is nothing I can give you, whether money in billions, but console you and promise you that this experience will not repeat itself,” the president said.
“I know the pain… the pain and agony in your heart. But it’s only God who can give you joy and comfort. No amount of money can pay all of you back.”
Tinubu said the government would do its best to support affected families while working to ensure justice.
“Yes, as government, we will try our best to comfort you, to work with you. The best solution is for justice to be done,” he added.
He also directed security agencies to track down those responsible for the killings.
“You must unearth and find the killers,” he said, commending the efforts of the police and the military.
He further announced plans to strengthen security surveillance in the area, including the installation of cameras to help law enforcement identify perpetrators.
“We are going to install immediately a network of cameras that will help law enforcement agencies identify the troublemakers instantly,” he said.
The president urged community leaders and residents to work together to end the cycle of violence, stressing the need for unity and peaceful coexistence.
“We must break the shackles of violence, ignorance, poverty and hopelessness together,” he said.
Tinubu added that the federal government would explore ways to provide relief to victims, noting that while lives lost cannot be replaced, efforts would be made to offer some support.
