11 days after Jos attack: 36 killed in reprisal, gunmen cut bridge to deny victims help

In what is believed to be a reprisal, some 36 persons were reported killed Tuesday night in Zangam enclave of Yelwan Mr. Bow of Jos North local government area of Plateau state, a local source has said.

The attacked community is about 7 kilometers away  from Jos, the state capital.

Spokesman of the state’s Police command, ASP Ubah Ogaba, as well as the information officer Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Major Ishaku Takwa, both confirmed the incident.

Their separate statements confirming the dastardly act were however silent on the casualty figure.

In his own statement,  Takwa said:  “The Zagam Community of Yelwa in Jos north local government area of Plateau state yesterday 24 August 2021 came under attack by suspected gunmen.

“The attackers came in the night and started  house to house shooting of  unsuspecting members of the community.”

 On his part the police spokesman, Ogaba, said: “The Command is aware of the incident at Yelwa Zangam. Police Operatives and other sister agencies were immediately deployed to the area to restore peace and to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act.”

Lalong condemns attack  

Condemning the attack in a statement, Plateau state Governor Simon Lalong said he was appalled by the development.

A statement by his director of press, Dr. Makut Macham, said: “Governor Simon Bako Lalong is appalled by yet another isolated attack. which took place at Yelwa Zangam village of Jos North Local Government Area on Tuesday night where properties were destroyed and some persons killed.” 

It said: “The Governor totally condemns this barbaric act and directs security agencies who have already arrested 10 suspects in connection with the attack to intensify efforts in tracking down the other assailants and their sponsors in order to bring them to justice.”  

“The proactive decision became necessary following eminent(sic) threat to lives and properties within the Local Government Area and the need to forestall the breakdown of law and order.

“It will also enable security agencies deploy appropriately to maintain security as the search for the attackers of the villagers continues.

“The Governor has appealed to the citizens of Jos North to cooperate with the Government by abiding to the 24-hour curfew commencing 4pm, 25th August 2021, as security agencies have been mandated to ensure that those who violate the curfew are arrested.

“Also, the 6pm to 6am curfew in Jos South and Bassa LGAs still remains in place until further notice. Only people on essential duties such as health personnel, journalists, fire service and paramilitary and others, are to be exempted from the curfew but should carry means of identification with them at all times.

“The Governor is calling for calm as he is seriously grieved by the attacks,” the statement further added.

 It said Lalong was furious over the incident which security reports indicated was carefully planned as the bridge linking the village was said to have been destroyed in order to deny security forces access to the area during the attack. 

He sympathised with the affected people and called for calm, assuring them that they would get justice. 

Damaged bridge

Blueprint can report that members of the Yelwan Mr. Bow community Tuesday morning complained of vandalisation of the main bridge that linked their communities. 

Our correspondent who was at the scene Tuesday morning met the people fixing the damaged wooden bridge.

A community leader, Malam Ali Muhammad, told our correspondent that in the early hours of Tuesday, passersby reported to them that some miscreants vandalised the bridge.

He said the Jos paramount ruler, the Ujah Anaguta, and chairman of Jos North local government council intervened in the past conflicts where they both sued for peaceful living.

“We are all at peace, as agreed, but suddenly this morning  some people removed all the woods on our bridge, they mounted road block with stones, stick a red cap to indicate that no road.

“This has brewed tension and we instantly informed the chairman of Jos North Local Government Council, we equally called the DPOs of Anguwan Rogo and Katako, who have all come and have seen what happened,” he said.

According to him, the DPOs addressed the two communities on the need to leave in peace.

“With this late night incident, it would therefore be right to say the hoodlums damaged the bridge to forestall rescue effort by security agents in event of any attack,” the community leader said.

“We are appealing that the bridge should be fixed to a standard level, and government should also construct the road which is not more than five kilometers, and links Bauchi Road with Zaria Road,” he pleaded.