Jos, Nigeria
Some residents of the state capital of Plateau State, Jos, have staged protests following recurring kidnappings and killings by gunmen in the State.
The protest was led by the leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
In the past two weeks, there have been a series of violent attacks in Plateau, leading to the death of 100 people in Bokkos and Bassa LGAs.
TheCable reports that the protest commenced from the Fwavwei Junction community road, resulting in gridlock that left many commuters stranded.
During the march, they carried placards with inscriptions like: ‘That they do not die not in vain’, ‘we walk for peace’, Stop the killings’, ‘Stop the bloodshed’, ‘Every life matters’, and ‘Let Plateau live’.
On April 14, President Bola Tinubu attributed the killings to ‘misunderstanding between ethnic and religious’ groups and asked Governor Caleb Mutfwang, Plateau governor, to address the “age-long” communal issues connected to killings in the state.
Mutfwang has announced the decisive steps by his administration to ensure the state does not experience a repeat of recent killings.
Amongst the steps was a ban on night grazing and a restriction on the use of motorcycles.
The governor also prohibited the transportation of cattle by vehicles after 7pm. He described the killings as “coordinated acts of terror” intended to displace residents and deny them their right to live peacefully on their ancestral lands.
