Plateau, Benue: Gunmen Kill 44, Youths Deposit Corpses At Government House

Eat lifeless our bodies should you can’t defend us, protesting Plateau youths inform govt officers
Protests on Wednesday rocked Jos, the Plateau State capital, following the killing of 36 individuals in an assault on the Yelwa Zangam group within the Jos North Native Authorities Space of the state on Tuesday.

This was simply as eight individuals had been allegedly killed by suspected herders within the Yelwata group, Guma Native Authorities Space of Benue State on Tuesday. A number of folks had been stated to have been injured and one particular person was allegedly kidnapped through the assault.

Offended youths stormed some hospitals, together with the Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Jos, the place they seized corpses of the victims of the assault, went spherical with them in a truck earlier than depositing them on the Authorities Home.

There was pressure within the native authorities following the assault as youths berated the state authorities for failing to guard the residents.

Recall that there was pressure in Jos on August 14, when a gaggle of youths alongside the Rukuba Street within the Jos North Native Authorities Space killed 22 individuals, who had been amongst passengers of 5 buses being conveyed from Bauchi State to Ikare Akoko in Ondo State.

The travellers had gone again to Bauchi State for an Islamic programme and had been on their means again to Ondo State once they had been attacked.

On Wednesday, Jos was enveloped in pressure once more following the killing of 35 individuals in Ahwol Ward of the Naraguta group in the identical native authorities space the earlier night time.

It was learnt that round 10pm on Tuesday, gunmen stormed the Yelwa Zangam group and killed no fewer than 36 individuals and injured many others, who had been rushed to the Bingham College Instructing Hospital, Jos, for remedy.

It was gathered that when the gunmen acquired to the group, they had been capturing in each path earlier than they went from home to accommodate and gunned down many residents.

The paramount ruler of the Anaguta ethnic nationality within the state, Johnson Jauro, confirmed the assault to The PUNCH in Jos on Wednesday.

“I’ve been knowledgeable that some gunmen attacked my people final night time (Tuesday) within the Naraguta group with many casualties. However we’re nonetheless investigating to know what actually occurred,” he said.

The Councillor for the Ahwol Ward, Yusuf Ali, who additionally confirmed the assault, stated greater than 20 individuals had been burnt alive within the affected space.

One other resident, Jeremiah Bulus, stated, “Sixteen further corpses have been taken to the mortuary this morning and persons are nonetheless making efforts to get well extra corpses from a number of homes, which the gunmen set ablaze. The scenario is actually dangerous for the folks.”

Gunmen destroyed bridge, cease troops rescue mission
In response to the councillor, the gunmen first destroyed the iron bridge linking the group earlier than attacking the residents, which made it tough for safety brokers to entry the realm once they had been contacted in regards to the assault.

He stated, “The gunmen had been simply capturing in each path once they arrived in the neighborhood round 10pm. For now, greater than 10 lifeless our bodies have been recovered and we’re nonetheless looking for extra victims, as a result of the capturing was heavy.

“Whereas the assault was happening, the chairman of the native authorities referred to as the safety brokers to mobilise to the realm, but it surely was found that the gunmen had destroyed the iron bridge linking the group.

“They destroyed the bridge in all probability to forestall safety brokers from getting access to the group in order that they might execute their evil agenda unhindered and that was precisely what occurred. We’re in ache as a result of our folks have been cheated.”

Just a few hours after the assault, it was gathered that indignant protesters stormed some hospitals, together with the Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Jos, the place the corpses of the victims had been deposited.

Eyewitnesses stated the protesters dragged about 15 corpses right into a ready van and marched by way of the state Home of Meeting advanced to the Little Rayfield Authorities Home, the place they deposited them in entrance of the 2 gates.

He stated, “The gunmen had been simply capturing in each path once they arrived in the neighborhood round 10pm. For now, greater than 10 lifeless our bodies have been recovered and we’re nonetheless looking for extra victims, as a result of the capturing was heavy.

“Whereas the assault was happening, the chairman of the native authorities referred to as the safety brokers to mobilise to the realm, but it surely was found that the gunmen had destroyed the iron bridge linking the group.

“They destroyed the bridge in all probability to forestall safety brokers from getting access to the group in order that they might execute their evil agenda unhindered and that was precisely what occurred. We’re in ache as a result of our folks have been cheated.”

Just a few hours after the assault, it was gathered that indignant protesters stormed some hospitals, together with the Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Jos, the place the corpses of the victims had been deposited.

Eyewitnesses stated the protesters dragged about 15 corpses right into a ready van and marched by way of the state Home of Meeting advanced to the Little Rayfield Authorities Home, the place they deposited them in entrance of the 2 gates.

Protesters destroy governor’s billboard

It was learnt that on the roundabout in entrance of the Little Rayfield Authorities Home, the protesters destroyed Governor Simon Lalong’s large billboard that had the inscription, ‘Peace, Unity and Progress’.

They had been, nonetheless, prevented from coming into the Authorities Home by security operatives, who mounted roadblocks on the highway resulting in the gates.

The safety brokers additionally fired teargas canisters to disperse the surging protesters, however the irate youths took the corpses within the car from the roundabout and made their approach to the entrance of the Authorities Home gate, the place they dumped the corpses one after one other.

One of many protesters, Yusuf Jeremiah, who stated he took 5 of the corpses to the Authorities Home gate, advised The PUNCH that the youths weren’t proud of the federal government’s dealing with of the security situation within the state.

Jeremiah stated, “How can we now have a authorities in place and over 36 individuals had been killed in a group with out something being achieved to cease the attackers? What’s the job of these in authorities if it can’t defend the lives and property of the folks? Is it that these in authorities need to eat the our bodies of these killed? If that’s what they need, we now have determined to carry the lifeless our bodies to the Authorities Home.

One other protester, who refused to provide his identify, stated, “The killings are an excessive amount of within the state. There’s hardly a day with out tales of assaults and killings. For the way lengthy lets proceed like this? All by way of the time the protest lasted in front of the Government Home, no authorities official got here out to deal with us. So, we left the corpses for them there.”

It was gathered that the corpses had been later evacuated and brought again to the morgue by safety operatives.
The spokesman for the Plateau Police Command, Ubah Ogaba, couldn’t be reached for feedback.

Destruction of group’s entry bridge slowed down rescue efforts – Military
However the Operation Protected Haven, in an announcement by its spokesman, Ishaku Takwa, stated the troops mobilised to avoid wasting the group had been slowed down by the destruction of the hyperlink bridge by the marauders.

He said, “The attackers got here within the night time and began capturing unsuspecting members of the group from home to accommodate. The gunmen additionally destroyed homes and the bridge linking the city to the group, making entry to the realm tough for safety businesses.

“Troops of the Operation Protected Haven, who had been mobilised to avoid wasting the group, had been slowed down by the destruction of the bridge by the marauders.

Lalong re-imposes 24-hour curfew on Jos North LGA
On account of the incident, Lalong re-imposed a 24-hour curfew on the Jos North Native Authorities Space.

The 24-hour curfew earlier imposed on the council space alongside Jos South and Bassa by the governor was relaxed final week from nightfall to daybreak.

In an announcement on Wednesday, the Governor’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Authorities Home, Macham Makut, stated the choice to re-impose the curfew, which started by 4pm on Wednesday, adopted imminent menace to lives and property within the space.

The assertion stated, “The Plateau State Authorities has reinstated the 24-hour curfew earlier relaxed within the Jos North Native Authorities Space following rising pressure arising from the assault on Yelwa Zangam village of the native authorities, the place folks had been killed and properties destroyed.

“In response to Governor Simon Lalong, the 24-hour curfew will come into pressure from 4pm as we speak, Wednesday, August 25, 2021, till additional discover.

“The proactive choice grew to become mandatory following imminent threat to lives and property within the local government space and the necessity to forestall the breakdown of regulation and order. It should additionally allow safety businesses to deploy appropriately to take care of safety because the seek for the attackers of the villagers continues.”

CAN condemns killings, calls for compensation for bereaved families
In the meantime, the Christian Affiliation of Nigeria, Jos North chapter, has condemned the recent killings.

The affiliation put the variety of casualties at 40.

It stated this on Wednesday in an announcement signed by the Coordinator, CAN, Jos North, Rev Polycarp Gana, and Secretary, Rev Ezekiel Nyam.

The physique added that 4 homes had been burnt through the mayhem.

The assertion learn partly, “We reiterate and condemn aggressively these killings and assaults on harmless residents of their houses and the provocative statements by clerics, who must be preaching understanding and solidarity to fish out the dangerous eggs in our communities.

“We condemn provocative statements at these occasions once we must be attempting to assuage frayed nerves with phrases from the holy books, which ought to construct fairly than additional tear aside.

“CAN calls on the federal government to go to and compensate the households of the victims affected by the incident and appeals to Christians to face agency and defend themselves.”

10 suspects have been arrested, says Lalong
Lalong later confirmed that 10 individuals had been arrested in reference to the assault.

The governor, who condemned the recent assault in an announcement by Makut, warned that these behind the killings wouldn’t go unpunished

The assertion learn partly, “Governor Simon Bako Lalong is appalled by yet one more remoted assault, which passed off on the Yelwa Zangam village of the Jos North Native Authorities Space on Tuesday night time, the place properties had been destroyed and a few folks killed.

“The governor totally condemns this barbaric act and directs security agencies, which have already arrested 10 suspects in reference to the assault, to accentuate efforts in monitoring down the opposite assailants and their sponsors in an effort to carry them to justice.

Gombe gov decries reprisals in Plateau
Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, has condemned the reprisals that adopted the latest killings in Jos, Plateau State, urging residents to stay calm.

Yahaya spoke on the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, after assembly with the Chief of Employees to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari.