Lockdown: In Jos, residents launch massive protest, demand palliatives

Hundreds of residents of Jos North local government area of Plateau state, Saturday launched protest against lockdown with pleas for palliatives from the government.

The protesters mostly women in a procession stormed the streets of Jos, Plateau state capital, and headed to the state headquarters of the Police command.

Blueprint correspondent reports that the protesters gathered at Federal Government College, and blocked Zaria road early Saturday morning.

One of them, Mrs. Esther John, said they embarked on the protest after spending days without seeing any palliative from the government as promised by Governor Simon Lalong.

She said, “We are told by some people to come here but we did not see any government official that will distribute any palliative to us. We won’t leave the road until the state government bring the palliatives and distribute to us.”

However, Jos North council chairman Hon. Shehu Bala, said the state government has plans to disburse food items as palliatives, but didn’t ask people to gather at specific venue.

According to the him, “The state government has said it will disburse palliatives. It did not say people will be gathered in one place to collect the items.

“Government has made plans on how best the items will be disbursed. Items will be taken to communities, and committee has been set up to make the disbursement to the needy.”

He urged the people to shun any information not from official source of government.

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