Plateau crisis: 24-hr curfew imposed, 3 youths killed in protest
A 24-hour curfew has been imposed in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, where altercation between youths in the community and soldiers has led to the death of four persons.
Daily Times reports that the youths had blocked the main entrance to the community as early as 8 a.m. on Thursday as they continued to protest against the assassination of the Saf Ron Kulere, Lazarus Agai, on – alongside other family members, while returning from Sha village.
The youths had also on Tuesdayattacked some Fulani communities on the suspicion that the attack may have been orchestrated by herdsmen.
The herdsmen launched a reprisal attack on Wednesdaynight leading to the death of one person.
When the State Commissioner of Police visited the community, youths blocked the main entrance chanting; ‘bamason soja’ (we don’t want soldiers). It took minutes of cajoling by the CP Adekunle Oladunjoye to gain entrance into the community.
However, the youths were not so lucky when they prevented men of Operation Safe Haven from leaving the community.
Our correspondent who was at the scene reports that OPSH hilux vehicles and armored tank were barred from leaving the community which led to a commotion climaxing to the death of four persons.
Operation Safe Haven Media and Information Officer, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, said the soldiers had extracted the Ardo of Bokkos whom youths in Bokkos had attempted to lynch.
In his words, “they were trying to lynch one of the Ardos and we rescued him so they started saying that we were taking sides with the Fulani and prevented our men from leaving the community. As security agents we are for everybody; we cannot watch as a man is being lynched no matter what, but in that commotion, three people were killed and we are investigating the incident”, he said.
Iweha said the curfew took immediate effect but that security agents were relaxing the curfew today to enable the people stock their homes with food.
