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Tension in Plateau over killing of eight persons

By Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi Jos
24 July 2015   |   3:15 am
• Lalong pledges to eradicate segregated areas • APC, PDP bicker over dissolution of councils THERE was tension in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State Wednesday following attacks and reprisals among the youths communities in the area. One person was killed while two persons sustained injuries when a group of youths alleged to…
Lalong

Lalong

• Lalong pledges to eradicate segregated areas
• APC, PDP bicker over dissolution of councils

THERE was tension in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State Wednesday following attacks and reprisals among the youths communities in the area.

One person was killed while two persons sustained injuries when a group of youths alleged to be from a Berom community stormed the house of a renowned politician, Alhaji Auwal Tanko. Tanko is believed to have been nominated as a supervisory councillor by Governor Simon Lalong after the dissolution of the local government councils.

Irked by the attack, some Hausa youths allegedly laid ambush on some Berom youths, killing three persons. It was gathered that the corpses of the youths were discovered in a nearby well.
A member of Tanko’s family, Tanko Salisu Nasir, who survived the attack said, through a telephone, that, “We had just finished eating our meal when we heard gun shots. The gun men killed my 10 – year old brother, Hassan Salisu.”
The victim, Nasir, said he found himself in Mainasara Hospital, where four bullets were removed from his body.
A community leader in Barkin Ladi, Alhaji Danjuma Abdullahi, said the matter had been reported to the Special Task Force (STF) Sector Commander in charge of the area, adding that the town was tensed for fear of reprisals.

Similarly gunmen attacked a local beer parlour at Anguwan Durung area of Barkin Ladi local government of the state yesterday and killed four persons including one Mark Lukas.
Coordinator of Stephanus Foundation, Mr. Mark Lipdo, confirmed the incident. Lipdo said unknown gunmen stormed the bar yesterday afternoon and started shooting sporadically killing four persons.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Deputy Superintendent Abuh Emmanuel confirmed the attack.
Meanwhile, the state Governor Simon Bako Lalong has mapped out strategies to stamp out the so – called “no – go areas” in the state. The “no – go areas” came into being after the ethno–religious crises where citizens now live segregated life along ethnic and religious divides.
Some areas are tagged as belonging exclusively to the Hausa–Fulani Muslims while some are also for the Christians and the indigenes.

According to the governor, the government will soon inaugurate a Bureau for Conflict Resolution, which will work with Non – Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to restore peace in the state. He assured that his administration would stop at nothing to ensure that all worthy contributions are harnessed to tackle every potent threat towards peaceful co – existence in the state through Conflict Resolution Bureau.

In a related development, a rally in Jos, which was supposed to be peaceful to protest against the dissolution of the Chairmen and Councillors of the 17 local government areas of Plateau State by the State Governor, Simon Lalong turned rowdy as irate youths said to be loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clashed at the venue of the protest.

Some youths believed to be PDP loyalists kicking against the dissolution had earlier gathered in front of the State House of Assembly saying the dissolution is a breach of their rights to choose their leaders before other youths believed to be APC supporters from Jos North stormed the venue of the protest.
The PDP youths who carried placards with inscriptions such as, “No to Councils’ Dissolution,” “Bring Back our Chairmen and Councillors,” “Lawyer Lalong, a Lawbreaker,” “Lalong, we no go gree,” “Lalong is another Boko Haram on the Plateau” among others, were later chased away by the alleged APC youths while the security agents stood helplessly.

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