The Plateau State Police Command has confirmed that five persons lost their lives and twelve houses were set ablaze in last Sunday’s crisis that engulfed parts of Jos North local government area of Plateau state.
A fracas which followed the discovery of a corpse between Anguwan Damisa and Dutse-Uku sparked a riot that engulfed parts of Rikkos, Cele-Bridge, Tina Junction and Anguwan Rukuba in Jos North.
Youths had gone on rampage attacking perceived rivals and setting houses ablaze. The intervention of security agents had contained the situation but our correspondents gathered that gunshots were heard all through Sunday night and early Monday morning.
However, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tyopev Terna, in a statement on Monday said five people had been killed and 12 houses set ablaze.
Narrating the genesis of the incident, DSP Terna stated that the Plateau State Police Command had on Sunday received a report from one Sarki Arum of Tina area that one Enoch Monday of Tina was seen lying motionless at an area between Dutse Uku and Angwan Damisa in Jos North.
He said the Command had immediately mobilised to the area and removed the body to Plateau Specialist Hospital where he was confirmed dead and the corpse deposited at the mortuary of the same hospital.
The Police spokesperson stated that youths of the area had protested when the news of Enoch’s death filtered into the community adding that, “the Area Commander Jos Metro had mobilised personnel of the divisions within his jurisdiction and moved with the Commanding Officer of 8PMF and the Divisional Police Officer of Nasarawa Gwong Division under whose jurisdiction the crime was committed to the scene of the crime.”
He said “with the efforts of the Area Commander Jos Metro, the Commander of Operation Safe Haven, the Commanding Officer 8PMF and the Divisional Police Officer, Nasarawa Gwong Division, the situation has been brought under control.
The area is being patrolled. Residents of the area are enjoyed to remain calm.”
The Police assured that efforts are on to arrest both the people involved in the criminal protest that lead to breach of law and order as well as the killers of Enoch Monday.