Mr Labaran Maku former Minister of Information and current National Secretary of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has on Friday urged Nasarawa people to neglect all forms of violence and embrace peace for the development of the state.
Maku disclosed this while briefing newsmen after an APGA stakeholders meeting at the party’s secretariat in Lafia.
According to him, violence in any form, either by “Ombatse”, herdsmen or any other group does not augur well for development and also ugre the people not to allow themselves to be used by any person or group to cause crisis in the state.
Maku said: “You should challenge anybody deceiving you to attack or kill someone to go and do it themselves or should send their biological children for such an evil mission.”
He encouraged politicians not to use violence as a means of realizing their political aspiration, saying that violence was anti-God and would always attract sanction at the appropriate time.
The APGA scribe also expressed shock and concern over reports in the media of purported plan by a new “Ombatse” group to cause violence in the state.
He said “as an Eggon man, who is conversant with the culture, Ombatse has never been part of Eggon culture and we never knew anything about such group until the campaign of 2011 governorship election.
“It emerged in the cause of preparation for 2011 governorship election in the state and was closely associated with those that struggled for power at that time.
“When its activities became serious, I launched a personal campaign against the group, machineries and herdsmen and other related groups in the state.” He also said that as minister of information, he launched a campaign on the media against Ombatse, Fulani insurgency and other related groups throughout the country.
Maku, therefore, called on religious, traditional leaders and other stakeholders to preach against violence and not to facilitate it in any way.
