Tin City, Jos in Plateau State erupted in a fresh orgy of violence, which left no fewer than 20 persons dead on Sunday and several houses burnt. The mayhem, which reccurred just over a year after a similar one in the violence-prone Jos North Local Government Area began just after noon.

Conflicting accounts were offered as reasons for the latest crisis. One was that it snowballed from a disagreement between some youths engaged in a football match in the Duse Uku area of Nasarawa Gwom in Jos North.


The disagreement was said to have degenerated into a full-blown crisis with rival youth gangs using all sorts of weapons. The youths thereafter went on the rampage, killing and burning houses. At least four houses were burnt.

Another account said the crisis had been simmering over time following the refusal of either of the ethnic groups in the community to allow its rival to reconstruct houses destroyed during the November 28, 2008 crisis in the area.


The problem was said to have reached a feverish point when one Alhaji Umaru was disallowed from embarking on the reconstruction of his house in Duse Uku, provoking Muslim youths to mobilise and attack anybody in sight.

The action resulted in a free-for-all with machetes and other dangerous weapons freely used.

An eye-witness reported seeing nine bodies in a hospital and several wounded, some by machetes.

Several houses and vehicles were also burnt in the fighting.

“I was at the Jos University hospital where I saw nine dead bodies and six people injured with machete cuts on admission,” a resident told AFP.

“I can see billows of dark smoke from burning houses in Nasarawa Gwom,” he

added.

Streets in the Jos North council area were suddenly deserted as news of the crisis spread by 2.30pm.

“We saw heavily armed soldiers at check points in front of the General Post Office searching vehicles and interrogating occupants before letting them through,” Daily Sun reporter who was at the scene said.

“At about 3pm, opposite Jos branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) we sighted a Nigerian Army truck loaded with armed personnel racing towards Ahmadu Bello Way.

“At 5.50pm thick clouds of smoke could still be seen billowing from various angles of the city’s northern fringes.”

Tension still remained high as residents who went for church services hurried back home to make sure that their relations were safe.

Gunshots were still being heard around Rikkos area and thick smoke billowed. Armed security personnel were blaring sirens and firing tear gas canisters to disperse the rampaging youths.

The dead and injured were taken to the Jos University Teaching Hospital and the specialist hospital.

In a swift reaction, the state government declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew, which it had earlier relaxed from 12 midnight to 6 am. The curfew was announced in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Gregory Yenlong.

The commissioner said the measure was aimed at nipping in the bud the prevailing situation in Jos town so that hoodlums would not take advantage of the security breach to molest innocent citizens.

The statement urged all citizens to adhere strictly to the directive as all efforts were being intensified to ensure the safety of lives and property.


In a terse statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Mohammed Larema, confirmed the crisis. He said it was “being contained.”

Addressing journalists later, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Greg Ayangting said 35 suspects had been arrested, including five in military uniforms. The police boss said the situation had been put under control.

, One mayhem too many

The eruption of riots in Jos yesterday leading to the killing of no less than 20 people show that the town is now perpetually sitting on a keg of gunpowder. The once peaceful state has lost its innocence and has become the sad theatre for incessant riots and wanton killings.

Yesterday’s uprising is an unwanted annual commemoration of a similar incident in the state about a year ago for which a federal government panel of enquiry is still sitting, If a thing as flimsy as arguments in a football field, as reported last night, could spark off the kind of disturbances leading to loss of lives, the implication is that there may be more than meet the eye in all these riots.


Way back in year 2000, during Governor Joshua Dariye’s regime, Jos ,believed to be the most peaceful and cosmopolitan in Northern Nigeria, began to cave in to riots believed to have been religiously motivated, But it took the 2008 riots for the world to know that politics is at the root of the matter. Local council elections held on Friday November 28th 2008 sparked riots just as the results were to be announced. A consertative estimate of 200 people were forcibly sent to the great beyond in the process.


If politics is comparatively strong, given that it is struggle for power, what about an argument between alleged fellow Muslims in a football field on a Sunday morning? How could it have degenerated to attack on Christians who dismissed from churches to run into the warring Muslim groups. Even as another version of yesterday’s riots say it had simmered over time following attempts of 2008 victims to rebuild thire destroyed houses.


Certainly something has snapped in Jos and, indeed most parts of that zone. Human life has lost value and religion has presented a veritable avenue to unleash this burgeoning brutality now pervasive among the populace. Guns, knives. Bombs and other explosives now appear in a twinkle, an indication that people stock them in wait.

Nigerians who have railed against the American government for dropping the hammer of ‘terror watch’ on the country may find no answer in Jos. It is not about Farouk Abdulmuttallab. It is about a people who are increasingly making nonsense of the sacrosance of human life. People use instruments at the slightest provocation and shed blood at will.

In jos matters are made worse by apparent non challant attitude of the authorities at both national and state levels to bring perpetrators of the recurring crisis to book.


Last night a dusk to dawn curfew was declared as usual. A few arrests will follow and then everybody goes to sleep. Before we know it Jos will erupt yet again. The pusy footing and political lily liver pervading prosecution and punishment of rioters and killers have largely aided its recurrence. For Jos this is certainly one riot too many. It is fasr becoming an annual ritual.

Islamist at it again !!!

We have atheist,pagans,hinduist,satanist,christians&other religions in Nigeria.Why must it always be islam all d time in Nigeria? Boko haram, bauchi crises, Even 90% of terrorists in d whole world are muslims.How long shall continue with this?

Muslims are at it again!!!

Muslim are warrior, nobody can defeat naija or invade us,

Abu Zola:

Muslim are warrior, nobody can defeat naija or invade us,

You are a F.O.O.L. . . .stup.id I.d.i.o.t. . . . . . .

You are an i.m.b.e.c.i.l.e

Why are muslims warmongers and hatemongers ?

Can't they do without violence ?

We are sick of terror (Islam) and I think it is high time to bring Islam to an end



Then earlier we bring Islam to a permanent end, the better. haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !

Shut up, you want to start another war in the south abi,

ar u sure u ar ok ? abuzombi

Abu Zola:

Shut up, you want to start another war in the south abi,

Shut up you F.O.O.L and wannabe slave of the imaginary desert god of the arabs. . . . . . . .

Abuzola you are so stupid seriously.

Abumalu is the greatest idiot I've ever come across on NL

Hahahahahahahahahaha, *farts and continue laffing*


b)

a muslim wants to rebuild his house (that was ealier burnt by christians) and a christian prevents him. Who is the terror here?
Why are you guys so deperate to blame islam for everything

Don't mind them my brother, salamu alaikum

Abu Zola:

Shut up, you want to start another war in the south abi,

Shut up you deluded son of satan. Do you Islamist think with your brain What have you contributed to Nigeria ? Islam have brought misery, disgrace and backwardness to Nigeria.

Nigeria is a terrorist country, thanks to the satanic muslims !!!

How many blood is your allah (Saudi black stone) going to suck ?

We are giving all the muslims an ultimatum of three days to put a permanent end to all violence otherwise we are going to eradicate Islam from Nigeria.

Enough is enough. Your religion is questionable.

the_seeker:

a muslim wants to rebuild his house (that was ealier burnt by christians) and a christian prevents him. Who is the terror here?
Why are you guys so deperate to blame islam for everything

All muslims have no house. They are all homeless bastards. 

Islam was not existing before. Islam invaded the African continent through the savage Arabs, and since then we have not known any peace.

Ever since Islam have invaded the African continent, they did not contribute any thing of value to the continent. All they do is kill, slay and butcher.

Allah (The Arabian demon) have sucked enough African blood.

Enough is enough for all these nonsense. We in the African continent are bidding Islam farewell in the African continent