Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has visited communities affected by deadly attacks in Plateau State, telling grieving families that there are “no easy answers” to the violence.
Mr Welby visited victims and families in Jos and Bassa local government areas on Tuesday as part of his engagement with religious leaders and communities affected by years of violence in the state.
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At Angwan Rukuba in Jos, families who lost loved ones during the 29 March Palm Sunday attacks, which claimed more than 30 lives, recounted their losses to the former archbishop.
A bereaved mother, Favour Ayuba, said she had continued to seek answers since the attack that killed her only son, Promise.
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“Since 29th March till date, I have been asking questions and I have not got any answers,” she said.
Ms Ayuba said the victims were still struggling with the consequences of the attack, adding that some women who lost their husbands had also died.
She appealed to Mr Welby to continue praying for the affected families and supporting efforts to end the violence.
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Another bereaved parent, Abdulbasit Abiodun, recounted how his first son was shot dead during the attack.
He said he had been with his son at home on 29 March when the attack occurred and never saw him alive again.
‘There are no easy answers’
Mr Welby told the grieving families that their courage in the face of tragedy deserved recognition, saying he could identify with the pain of losing a child.
He said his own experience of losing a child had reminded him of the continuing pain suffered by parents who lose their children.
“A long time ago, when my wife and I were quite young, we had a baby who was killed,” he said.
Mr Welby said victims of violence often ask why the attacks happened but cautioned against offering simplistic explanations to people dealing with profound grief.
“We often ask, why? I don’t know the answer,” he said. “There are answers, but they are not good answers. Too often, the answers we give are cheap, easy answers.”
He commended members of the affected communities for supporting one another and urged them to continue providing care for those who lost relatives.
Welby seeks practical security measures
Mr Welby said he came to Plateau to listen to affected communities and learn from their experiences rather than develop solutions from distant offices.
He said his experience of working in conflict-affected countries had taught him that the voices of communities living with violence must be central to efforts to address insecurity.
“I came to listen to you and to learn,” he said.
The former archbishop said he was exploring practical measures that could help vulnerable communities protect themselves from attacks, including the training of local people, improved security infrastructure and closed-circuit television systems.
He also mentioned early-warning technology being developed in Ukraine, which he said could potentially help communities receive advance notice of attacks.
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Mr Welby, however, said he would not make promises he could not keep.
“I cannot promise I will succeed,” he said. “I make no promises because I will not lie to you, but I promise I will try and do my best.”
He urged the victims to remain vigilant while continuing to work and pray for peace.
Irigwe community reports over 3,000 deaths
During the visit, the paramount ruler of the Irigwe nation in Bassa Local Government Area, Ronku Aka, said the community had lost more than 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 the Founder of El-Buba Outreach Ministries International, Isa El-Buba; Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s Special Adviser on Religious Affairs, Steve Dangana; and the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Plateau State, Dunka Gomwalk, among others.
He 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 Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
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