Youth in their numbers have trooped to streets across Plateau state to protest the mass killing which occurred in the state on Saturday. Over 100 peop
Youth in their numbers have trooped to streets across Plateau state to protest the mass killing which occurred in the state on Saturday. Over 100 people lost their lives in the incident blamed on suspected herdsmen. The attackers burnt buildings, including churches, destroyed vehicles and property worth millions of naira. The tragic incident occurred on Saturday night.
Some aggrieved persons laid siege to Mangu-Du-Jos and Mangu-Barkin Ladi roads which lead to the southern part of Plateau. Restricting vehicular movement, the youth who wielded dangerous objects lit bonfires on roads. Many passengers were stranded as vehicles were prevented from going in and out of Jos. Some aggrieved persons also converged on the Jos-Riyom highway, which connects Abuja, Kaduna and Nasarawa states.
An affected resident, Danpak Wuzaddah said youths ordered a vehicle he boarded to turn back when it got to Du, a community near Jos.
“We had a smooth rode from Gungji village in Kanke local government but when we got to Du, we saw youth in their hundreds lining both sides of the road. Some of the persons entered our vehicles to identify what one of them said described as potential enemies. They did not harm anyone in our vehicle but the driver was ordered to head towards the direction we were coming from.”
As they burnt tires in five different barricades, the youth chanted “Enough-is-enough of killings in our community; we are tired of security excuses.”
It took the intervention of the traditional head of Mangu, who pleaded with the youths before the situation was brought under control.
The President of Mwaghavul Youth Movement (MYM), Mr. Gayus Dapul, said, “The protest is to send a message to the stakeholders in Plateau that the youths and the people of Mangu are not happy with the security situation in the area.
“It is our way of expressing our dismay over the bad state of security in Mangu LGA, because we have discovered that each passing day our people are being killed.”
Dapul called on the Federal and State Governments to rise up to their responsibility of protecting the people.
