The United States government has called on the Nigerian government to as a matter of urgency, arrest, prosecute and punish all those responsible for the incessant killings across the country.

 

The Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Nigeria, Mr. David Youn‎g made the call while addressing newsmen in Kaduna on Wednesday.

 

Describing the killings as tragic and complex to deal with, Young called on the Nigerian government not to allow perpetrators of deadly violence in many states of the country get away with their crimes.

He suggested ways the Nigerian government could end the ongoing killings in Zamara, Kaduna and Plateau States, explaining that part of the solution to the problem would be for the government to arrest those behind the killings.

Young added that having visited the three states most affected by the herders-farmers crisis, it was very important for justice to take its full course in order to stem the tide.

“As Nigeria deals with its issues of insecurity and violence, I know it is a major concern. I heard  from people here in Kaduna as well as Zamfara and Plateau, about the issue of loss of lives and how tragic that is.

“It’s important to emphasize that for us and our people, all lives are sacred and we mourn the passing and tragedy that happened.

“I learnt that in Kaduna and Zamfara during my trip that communities were touched by this violence between farmers and herders. All are touched by this violence and again it’s a tragic loss.

“We mourn and we stand in solidarity with people who lost loved ones. I learnt that there are very complex causes for the criminality that we see across different states.

“I met with many people in Abuja as well and around the country and our team at the Embassy looked at these issues, talked to folks all across Nigeria.

“With great concern, I realised that it is very complex and there is no particular simple solution that is easily available,” Young added.

He added: “Obviously the critical importance is cracking down on the criminality and having effective and efficient law enforcement agencies that really focused on issues of impunity.

“It is very important that criminals and others are not able to get away with this kind of impunity‎ and violence.

“We are partnering with Nigerian leaders in some o‎f these areas and in terms of improving education and health, economic opportunities, agriculture and other sectors. It’s critically important that people have opportunities and hope to envisage a better future so that young people do not go into criminality.

“Another important message is that it’s important to have individuals ‎acting as peace makers and working to promote dialogue across communities, ethnic groups and religions.”