Former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has visited communities affected by deadly attacks in Plateau State, Nigeria, to console grieving families and learn from their experiences. During his visit to Jos and Bassa local government areas, Mr Welby met with families who lost loved ones in recent attacks, including the 29 March Palm Sunday attacks that claimed over 30 lives. He listened to their stories and offered words of comfort.
At Angwan Rukuba in Jos, Mr Welby heard from a bereaved mother, Favour Ayuba, who lost her only son, Promise, in the Palm Sunday attack. Ms Ayuba recounted her continued search for answers since the attack, saying she had not received any satisfactory explanations. She appealed to Mr Welby to continue praying for the affected families and supporting efforts to end the violence.
Mr Welby shared his own experience of losing a child, saying it had reminded him of the continuing pain suffered by parents who lose their children. He cautioned against offering simplistic explanations to people dealing with profound grief, saying 'there are answers, but they are not good answers.' He commended the affected communities for supporting one another and urged them to continue providing care for those who lost relatives.
The former archbishop said he came to Plateau to listen to affected communities and learn from their experiences, rather than developing solutions from distant offices. He emphasized the importance of community voices in addressing insecurity and said he was exploring practical measures to help vulnerable communities protect themselves from attacks.
Mr Welby mentioned several potential measures, including the training of local people, improved security infrastructure, and closed-circuit television systems. He also referenced early-warning technology being developed in Ukraine, which could potentially help communities receive advance notice of attacks. However, he cautioned that he could not make promises he could not keep.
During his visit, the paramount ruler of the Irigwe nation in Bassa Local Government Area, Ronku Aka, reported that the community had lost over 3,000 people to violence over the past decade. He appealed for lasting solutions to insecurity, saying development would remain difficult without peace. Mr Welby was accompanied by several dignitaries, including the Founder of El-Buba Outreach Ministries International, Isa El-Buba.
Mr Welby also held discussions with members of the Plateau State Inter-Religious Advisory Council and visited the Jos Central Mosque, where he met Muslim leaders. He had earlier visited Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang. The visit was part of Mr Welby's engagement with religious leaders and communities affected by years of violence in the state.
Key points
- The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, visited Plateau State to console victims of deadly attacks and learn from their experiences.
- Mr Welby said there are 'no easy answers' to the violence and cautioned against offering simplistic explanations to people dealing with profound grief.
- The visit was part of Mr Welby's effort to engage with religious leaders and communities affected by years of violence in Plateau State.
