Weekend of bloodletting: At least seven murdered in renewed Plateau violence, 8 killed in Benue

No fewer than seven persons were brutally murdered and several houses burnt in a renewed crisis  which started Sunday in Tina Junction area of Jos, Plateau State, just as at least eight persons were killed in a Benue community on Saturday.

The Plateau crisis was said to have begun when an Apostolic Church in the area was allegedly attacked during its Sunday service by some youths believed to have come from the Hausa community in the area.

In retaliation, the native youths mobilised to stage a reprisal leading to full scale riot which quickly spread to other parts of the city, including Rikkos, Bauchi Ring Road, Students’ Village of the University of Jos, Faringada, Katako, Dilimi and Cele Bridge near Tina Junction in Jos.

Confirming the riot across the city, the Commander of the military Special Task Force (STF), Major General Augustine Agundu, made a live broadcast, on the local Plateau Radio Television Commission (PRTV).

“Today has been one of those unfortunate moments. We have had a lot of unrests in a cross section of the town. I was with the youths in Jos North LGA yesterday, Laranto in specific, and we had heart-warming discussions and interactions,” Agundu said.

“But in a situation like this, certainly, some miscreants and some criminals might want to seize some undue advantage or opportunity to unleash mayhem to innocent citizens and this is what we are condemning since my mandate in this Plateau State is the restoration of peace, law and order and total civility within the society.

“May I appeal to every good citizen of the state living both here in the state and outside the state, to urge the youth, the misguided ones to sheathe their swords and live in peace with one another.

“I am sure that every apparatus of government is working assiduously hard to ensure that normalcy returns and every person goes about his normal duties.

“There is no need for us to lift up arms against one another. Every conflict in this world has a solution and the solution is understanding and perseverance. We should be our brother’s keepers and our sister’s keepers. There should be peaceful co-existence.”

The STF commander condemned the attacks urging the political leaders to warn their wards to eschew violence.

Similarly, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Undie Adie, in a statement said called on people in the affected areas to remain indoors as anyone found would be arrested.

“All the people in the affected areas are advised in their own interest to remain indoors. Persons found loitering around will be arrested and dealt with according to the law. All patrol commanders have been given instructions to this effect.”

He identified the affected areas to include Dutse Uku, Students Village, Bauchi Ring Road, Angwan Rukuba and Bauchi Road.

“Also affected are Tina Junction, TNG Junction. All persons living around these areas are advised to go back to their houses and remain indoors.”

THISDAY reports that some visitors who were in transit from a wedding ceremony in Gombe, who did not know their road, ran into the riot and three of them were killed. Also, a 200 level Law student of the University of Jos was among those attacked and killed.

Meanwhile, yet to be identified gunmen on Saturday invaded Okpoga,the headquarters of Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, killing eight persons.

The gunmen, numbering about 10, invaded the area and shot sparodically at any one at sight leading to the death of no fewer than eight persons, including Mr. Okoh Simon, an emergency ambulance service provider who lived at the city centre.

THISDAY quoted a source who said the attack may have emanated from the neighboring Olô community in Edumoga district of the same local government who has been at cold war with the Okpoga people.

“We have been in this cold war with the Edumoga people for the past five years. All efforts by security agents and other government officials to settle the rift have proved otherwise. The Olò people are very stubborn and wicked. They call themselves ‘Benue’s Niger Delta region,” Mr. Ogwuche Innocent, an Okpoga resident told THISDAY.

The state police command, in a press statement signed by it’s spokesman, DSP Moses Yamu, said gunshots were heard at a beer parlour around Okpoga roundabout yesterday at about 9 p.m.

“Our men swiftly mobilised to the scene and engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel which forced them to flee but however, six persons, including a police sergeant who was on mufti were killed in the beer parlour before the police arrived the scene”.

He said preliminary investigation revealed that the yet to be identified armed men were from Olo community, and were led by one “Mathew”.

He said the state Police Commissioner, Ene Okon has ordered the Area Commander to relocate to that area, as teams of Operation Zenda, and Police Mobile Force have been drafted to the area to ensure that the culprits are identified and arrested.