Jos protests turn violent with demonstrators attacking Government House as anger mounts over herdsmen killings

LOCAL residents in the Plateau State capital Jos attacked the state secretariat yesterday destroying vehicles and buildings as the protests against the killings by Fulani cattle herdsmen in the state turned violent.

Last Sunday, armed Fulani cattle herdsmen attacked the villages of Razat, Ruku, Nyarr, Kura and Gana-Ropp in Gashish District in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, hacking 86 innocent people to death. Some reports indicate that the number of deaths could be as high as 200 and several emergency meetings have been called to address the matter, with President Muhammadu Buhari meeting with National Assembly leaders yesterday to find a solution to the crisis.

Incensed by the lack of government action, local people decided to stage a protest yesterday and the event which started peacefully, turned violent when youths and women damaged cars parked at the New Government House in Jos and other offices. During the fracas, vehicles belonging to Peter Amine of the News Agency of Nigeria and Douglas Francis of Core TV, were also damaged.

At the outset, the protesters, who had converged on the Old Airport Junction and marched to the Government House, were initially prevented from gaining access to the premises but some of them climbed the fence, forcing security agents at the gate to eventually open it. As a result, the Plateau State director of the Peace Building Agency, Joseph Lengmang, who was detailed to address the protesters, narrowly escaped being lynched and hurriedly scampered for safety.

However, some of the protesters chased him and the other fleeing government officials, trying to stop them from leaving the premises. When the officials fled, the protesters started throwing stones which hit cars and offices including the structure housing the offices of the secretary to the state government, the chief of staff and the permanent secretary Government House.

In the angry atmosphere, the protesters defied pleas from security operatives who were forced to shoot into the air to disperse them. However, they stood their ground demanding to see the governor so they could register their displeasure over the killings as well as his position on the ranching policy.

Governor Simon Lalong was said to have gone to the hospital to visit about 50 victims of the attacks who were receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital while the protest was going on. He has, however, condemned the attack on the Government House by protesters, saying they would be fished out and punished accordingly within the confines of the law.

“Government has identified the sponsors of this protest which resulted in the destruction of properties and will certainly bring them to account for their unpatriotic conduct. While government mourns the loss of innocent lives and has extended deep commiseration to victims of the unfortunate attacks, with assurances that it will not rest on its laurels in fishing out the perpetrators, it will not fold its hands and watch disgruntled citizens throw the state into a state of anarchy and chaos under the guise of mourning.

"We find it regrettable that while government has chosen to recognise the right of its citizens to peacefully assemble and protest within the confines of the law, the conveners of the protest under the joint auspices of the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria and Bazata Gospel Team allowed the protest to be hijacked by hoodlums who took advantage of the procession led by these organisations, to destroy government properties and vehicles of civil servants and visitors to the Government House running into millions of naira. We view this attack on the seat of government as a serious affront to the authority of the state which should not be taken lightly because of the very clear and obvious unpatriotic self serving interest of a few who have chosen to make a mockery of the grief of the victims of the attack in Gashish District and other areas of the Northern Senatorial District," Governor Lalong added.

Meanwhile, the Middle Belt Forum has called on Plateau State residents and other Nigerians in the Middle Belt to defend themselves against armed herdsmen with anything at their disposal. Insisting that the government had failed to protect middle belters, the forum asked the citizens to organise vigilance groups and use anything within their reach to fight the killers.