Taraba govt to foot medical bills of post-election violence victims

The Taraba State government has said it would foot the medical bills of the victims of post election violence that rocked the state.

The state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Simon Dogari, stated this during a press briefing in Jalingo.

Jalingo, the state capital has been under 24.hour curfew imposed by the state government after miscreants attacked supporters of Governor Darius Ishaku, who were celebrating the governor’s victory at the March 9 governorship election in the state.

According to Dogari, those behind the unrest were enemies of the state whose intention was to plunge Taraba into crisis.

“Their intention is to create tension and anarchy in Jalingo and the entire state such that the impression would be created in and outside Taraba state that the elections was not credible.

“The state government is happy that this motive has not been achieved and we give credit to God and to all the good people of Taraba state who have ignored the call to arms and have helped to defuse tension rather than yield to the temptation of reacting violently.”

The commissioner also wondered why someone who lost at the polls descended so low to give a religious colouration to the violence that greeted the declaration of Governor Ishaku as winner of the governorship election.

Read also: Army sets up committee to probe conduct by personnel during polls

“It is disheartening that someone who is aspiring a high position of leadership of this state will resort to religious bigotry to achieve his ambition”, he said.

Dogari also thanked residents of the state for ignoring these antics by maintaining decorum, promising that the state government will ensure that all law abiding people are protected, and free from any form of molestation or intimidation.

Reports however has it that normalcy is gradually returning to Jalingo following the relaxation of the 24 hours curfew imposed on the state capital to 14 hours, running from 4pm to 6am.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now