By Correspondent in Jos
The Governor of Plateau State, Mr Simon Lalong,has condemned the fresh violence that erupted in Jos on Saturday morning, especially as it involved innocent commuters and immediately directed security agencies to swiftly identify and arrest the perpetrators to restore peace to the area.
The governor expressed his feeling in a statement signed by his Director of Press, Simon Macham in Jos on Saturday.
Lalong warned trouble makers in the State to have a rethink, adding that the government would not allow any form of lawlessness to disrupt the peace of the State.
According to Lalong, the attacks on innocent citizens, no matter their backgrounds, will never be tolerated in the State, adding that thos found to be behind such attacks would be dealt with decisively to serve as deterrence to others and restore public order.
The Governor, however, commended security agencies for their immediate response leading to the arrest of some suspects and the restoration of calm to the area.
The Governor also commiserated with the families of those affected, and assured all law abiding citizens that security had been beefed up around the area as well as the entire metropolis to forestall further breach of the peace.
He reminded the citizens to remain vigilant and be security conscious in reporting suspicious persons and behaviour within their domains to enable law enforcement agencies respond appropriately.
Lalong also directed the Secretary to the Government of the State, Prof. Danladi Atu,to visit the areas and ascertain the situation as well as ensure that those injured receive adequate medical attention.
The Reporters gathered that no fewer than 18 persons were feared killed in Jos,following an outbreak of fresh violence on Rukuba road axis of the city while their remains have been conveyed to Plateau Specialist Hospital mortuary.
Though the violence has been quelled by Soldiers drafted from the Special Task Force (STF) on security, the city is still enveloped in palpable fears and tension.
The online publication further gathered that the violence erupted at Rukuba road when the Irigwe youths set out to convey the remains of their slain members for buria in Bassa on Saturday morning.
Our Correspondent also gathered that as the youth went with the corpses, they met some vans conveying some Fulani along their way who claimed they were commuters from Bauchi, but the angry youths challenged them, saying that Rukuba road does not connect Bauchi highway with suspicion that the Fulanis might have come to attack them at the burial ground.
At this juncture, violence commenced,leading to killings and injury on others before the arrival of the security agencies to the scene of the bloody incident.
