Some residents of Jos, the Plateau capital, have staged a
protest against the incessant kidnappings and killings by gunmen in the state.
The march was led by Christian leaders, including Polycarp
Lubo, Plateau chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
The protest commenced from the Fwavwei Junction community
road, resulting in gridlock that left many commuters stranded.
The demonstrators carried placards with inscriptions like:
‘That they do not die not in vain’, ‘we walk for peace’, Stop the killings’,
‘Stop the bloodshed’, ‘Every life matters’, and ‘Let Plateau live’.
The protest followed a series of violent attacks in Plateau,
with over 100 people reportedly killed in Bokkos and Bassa LGAs within the past
two weeks.
A faction of the CAN in the 19 northern states had demanded
justice for victims and an end to the “senseless” killings.
Yakubu Pam, chairman of the CAN faction, said the time has
come for all stakeholders, including traditional rulers, religious leaders,
security operatives, and community-based organisations, to unite against the
cycle of violence that has plagued Plateau for decades.
On April 14, President Bola Tinubu had asked Caleb Mutfwang,
Plateau governor, to address the “age-long” communal issues connected to
killings in the state.
On April 15, the governor said his administration is taking
decisive steps to ensure the state does not experience a repeat of recent
killings.
Mutfwang had subsequently announced a ban on night grazing
and restricted the use of motorcycles.
The governor also prohibited the transportation of cattle by
vehicles after 7pm, and described the killings as “coordinated acts of terror”
intended to displace residents and deny them their right to live peacefully on
their ancestral lands.
Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police (IGP),
said elements behind the killings in Plateau state will soon receive the
“surprise” of their lives.
The IGP also lamented that the violence has negatively
impacted farming activities in the state.
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