Criminals have no tribe; don’t inherit hatred, Shettima tells Plateau youths | Vanguard (NG)

Vice President Kashim Shettima delivered a strong message against ethnic profiling and cycles of violence in Nigeria's Plateau State, urging young people to reject inherited hatred and embrace peace. Speaking at the public presentation of the autobiography of former Plateau State Governor, Senator Jonah David Jang, as part of his 80th birthday celebrations in Jos, Shettima declared that criminals do not belong to any tribe or religion.

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The young men and women of Plateau have inherited baggage they did not create. They carry the grievances of a generation they never met and the quarrels of a history they never wrote.

Shettima highlighted that generations of young people in Plateau carry the burden of conflicts they neither initiated nor fully understand. He warned that lasting peace would remain elusive unless the chain of revenge is broken. "The young men and women of Plateau have inherited baggage they did not create. They carry the grievances of a generation they never met and the quarrels of a history they never wrote," he stated.

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Tell them what hatred costs. Show them that forgiveness is the hardest labour a strong man ever undertakes and the only virtue greater than revenge.

Cautioning against attributing the crimes of armed attackers to entire ethnic or religious groups, Shettima asserted, "Those carrying out these atrocities have no mandate from any community. They represent no religion, no ethnicity and no culture." He added that condemning innocent people for the sins of criminals deepens divisions and empowers those who profit from violence.

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The weak can never forgive; forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

He lamented the bloodshed that has transformed once-thriving communities into centers of grief and fear, noting that markets have emptied of laughter and trust has been replaced by suspicion. Despite these hardships, Shettima praised the resilience of Plateau's people for refusing to surrender their humanity. He appealed to elder statesmen, like Senator Jang, to use their influence to guide the younger generation toward peace.

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Those carrying out these atrocities have no mandate from any community. They represent no religion, no ethnicity and no culture. When innocent people are condemned for the sins of criminals, we deepen our divisions and hand victory to those who profit from violence.