Latest : Jos erupts in violence again, 5 killed

Jos, Plateau State capital, was again thrown into confusion  as two separate incidents degenerated into violence resulting in the death of at least five people.
A disagreement among members of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) over their ward congress held yesterday was said to have turned violent and was allegedly hijacked by some people who turned it into an ethno-religious issue, attacking innocent passersby along the road.

A Marcopolo bus was razed along Bauchi Road by the hoodlums while several people were injured.
It was learnt that the rioters claimed to be reacting to the alleged disappearance on Friday of some travelers along the Bisichi – Mangu-Halle Road about 50 kilometres from the state capital.
The incident itself created confusion along the Jos- Mangu highway  as some people protested the disappearance of the travelers who were suspected to have been killed.
Different parts of the state capital were thrown into confusion as word spread that fresh violence had erupted. Several business owners hurriedly locked up while people ran in different directions to avoid running into the rioters.
The state police commissioner of police confirmed the two incidents, saying violence broke out at the venue of the CPC congresses which was taken away from the initially scheduled venue where police had provided security without the knowledge of the police resulting in the burning of houses and vehicles.
He assured citizens that the police were on top of the situation and appealed for calm. He confirmed that three deaths had been ascertained while several people were injured in the Jos skirmish.
Governor Jonah Jang expressed concern over the fresh hostilities and directed the Special Task Force (STF) maintaining security in the state to take immediate action to restore normalcy.
A statement signed by the Director of  Press Affairs to the governor, Mr. James Mannok, said government was disturbed by the incidents and had directed the STF to get those behind the reported incident along the Bisichi – Mangu Halle Road and bring them to justice.
It appealed to community and religious leaders to appeal to their followers not to take the law into their hands.
Meanwhile, the Ulama elders council in the state has said the violence might have to do with the series of attacks on its members since the Christmas Eve bomb blasts in the state.
The council, in a statement yesterday by its secretary, Mr Lawal Ishaq, said about 42 of their members were missing since the incident.
The statement confirmed that a vehicle conveying about eight people returning from a wedding in Jos got missing along the Bisichi – Mangu Halle Road and are now feared dead.
“The driver of the vehicle, one Rufa’l Mohammed called the groom Umaru on phone screaming that they are going to kill them and the line went off immediately”, the statement said.
However, calm returned to most parts of the state capital by evening as security men took position  at strategic points while patrol was intensified along major roads.