People Killed, Houses Torched as Violence Erupts in Jos

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

An unspecified number of persons have been killed, with many others injured, and several houses torched as fresh violence erupts in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in Plateau State, Mr Mathias Terna Tyopev, said that security men have been drafted to arrest the situation.

He said: “We have received reports of tension around Dutse Uku, Rikkos, Cele Bridge and we have mobilised our personnel to the area.

“As we speak, the Area Commander, Jos Metropolis is there on ground.”

A resident of the area, who identified himself as Mr Paul Musa, said there has been tension in the area since last week when a boy from Angwan Miango was found dead at the boundary between the community and neighbouring Rikkos, a community of Hausa extractions in the metropolis.

The tension emanating from the killing was however doused by the security agents.

Again, on Sunday morning, another boy from the same Angwan Miango was allegedly killed when he went to wash at Cele River, a stream that runs between the Angwan Miango and Rikkos community.

Angered by the spate of killings, the natives from Angwan Miango took a fight to their Hausa neighbours in Rikkos.

This degenerated into full blown mayhem with gunshots rending the air and houses set ablaze.

Some churches, on getting wind of the crisis, had to hurry and wind up their services in order to allow worshippers get to their homes.

Meanwhile, the security agents are currently struggling to control the affected communities and avoid further escalation.