Chieftaincy title: Plateau warns hoodlums, mischief makers over violence

The Plateau State Government has warned citizens against perpetrating violence over an alleged plan by the state government to establish an emirate council or install an emir in Yelwa, Shendam Local Government Area of the state.

Daily Trust on Sunday reports that some youths had on Friday attacked several shops, the paramount ruler’s palace and the central mosque of Shendam town over the development.

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The situation led to rising tension in the town.

But reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Information and Communication in the state, Dan Manjang, in a statement yesterday, noted that the tension mounting in the area culminated to criminal elements pelting some prime buildings in Shendam town, including the palace of the Long Gamai and looting of some shops.

“The attention of the Plateau State Government has been drawn to fake news circulating in some conventional and social media platforms, alleging that there are plans by the government to establish an emirate council or install an emir in Yelwa, Shendam Local Government Area, leading to tension mounting in the area and culminating in criminal elements pelting some prime buildings in Shendam town, including the palace of the Long Gamai and looting some shops.

“Government hereby states categorically and unequivocally that such stories are unfounded and should be disregarded, while at the same time, condemns such behaviour in its entirety. The government wishes to put it on record that there has never been any time such idea was contemplated or even discussed. 

“To say the least, this is the imagination and machination of mischief makers, aimed at throwing the state into the dark old days, thereby drawing the hands of the clock backwards and making nonsense of the peace we have achieved since the coming of the rescue administration, ably led by Governor Simon Bako Lalong.

“In the light of the foregoing, therefore, government hereby warns such mischief makers to desist from their evil intentions as it will not take it kindly with anyone found to mastermind such retrogressive tendencies,” part of the statement reads.

It noted that Governor Lalong had already directed security agencies to go after those mischief makers and ensure that there is no escalation of the breakdown of law and order in the area, Shendam Local Government and Plateau State as a whole.