Another crisis averted in Jos

Another crisis averted in Jos

Our correspondent in JOS

An attempt by a group of people to intern their dead ones at a cemetery along Zaria road in Jos on Tuesday almost resulted in another break down of law and order in Jos but for the timely intervention of the security agency posted to the state capital who brought the situation under control.

According to information gathered, the people who went to Rusau burial ground were attacked by some youths living in the area; telling them to leave the area if they value their lives and in the skirmish that followed, few people were wounded.

One of the persons who went to the burial ground, Mallam Bello Yusuf disclosed that on Tuesday morning when they were in the process of digging the grave, some armed youths including elders came around and said that we should stop the burial or else they would deal with us in the presence of the mobile police.

The police fired a shot to the air and those that went with the corpse dropped it and ran from the scene but ‘before I could run they held me and started beating me and with a sharp object one of them was carrying, I was injured in the hands and on my head”

We gathered that the problem had been lingering for about three days. It was learnt that on Monday when the same group went with the corpse to the cemetery some hoodlums who went with them started howling stones on the villagers and this made the villagers to give them warning to stop coming to the burial ground as they are no longer interested in selling the land to the people to use as cemetery.

One of the villagers told Daily Sun that because of the Jos crisis the people in the area no longer want any dealing with the Hausas who have abused the hospitality extended to them by the indigenous people.

Another person who said he witnessed the first incident three days ago however said trouble, started on Monday afternoon when he went to Rusau, he saw that a group of people in the area had barricaded the road leading to the burial ground, among them there are youths and elders he knows very well and when he approached them he discovered that they were not ready to talk to him so he just left.

Alhaji Bawa Muhammed Rusau said he was living there before the last crisis which forced him to relocate to Yelwa Zango, another village close by.

However, the Chairman of the Council of Ulama, Plateau state, Sheikh Balarabe Daud has appealed to the federal and state government, Commissioner of Police, Director of State Security Services (SSS) and the General Officer Commanding (G.O.C.) to intensify efforts and strengthening the security apparatus in the state to avoid another serious crisis again.

The chairman made the call in an emergency meeting held by the Council of Ulama on the recent happenings

“We have written letters informing the security operatives that include, the Commissioner of Police, Director of SSS and the GOC, yet nothing has been done to avert this ugly situation.

“So, we do not want a situation where our youths will get fed up with these problems and decide to defend them selves; pointing out that this has continued for good three days at Rusau, Bukuru and Sabon Layi, we reported nothing has been done”

There was pandemonium in places around Farin Gada, Students Village and around Angwan Rimi and part of Angwan Rogo because of Tuesday’s incident forcing many people to return home even before the start of the curfew at 6.00 pm.

Already security operatives including the soldiers had already condoned the entire environment, and calm has been restored.

In related development, security operatives in the state now wear new special uniform that looks like that of United Nations Peace Keepers. It was learnt that the uniform was change in order to avoid fake security operatives from getting in and causing havoc in some parts of the state.