Two Feared Dead As Mourners And Military Personnel Clash In Plateau

Two persons have been feared killed while one other sustained injuries following a clash between mourners and military officers at a checkpoint in Mararaban Jama’a, a suburb in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

It was gathered that the mourners, mostly youths, were on their way from the mortuary to bury the body of a recently deceased loved one when they clashed with security operatives at a checkpoint in the area on Monday morning, June 5, 2023. 

According to Daily Trust, the youths, who were on motorcycles, reached the checkpoint and the military asked them to come down. But the youths did not heed the instruction and rather tried to appeal to the officers. 

“When the mourners got to the checkpoint mounted by operatives of the Special Taskforce codenamed Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), responsible for the maintenance of peace in the state, those on motorcycles in their numbers were asked to drop and push their motorcycles, but they tried to tell the security agents that they were on their way for a funeral and shouldn’t be made to follow that protocol,” a source explained. 

The security personnel insisted they obey the order, while the mourners refused, and when they insisted on passing, the personnel fired at them. 

Three youths were shot in the process. One died instantly while one of the injured two passed away in the hospital where he was receiving treatment. 

Angered by the shootings, the youths started demonstrating and set the military vehicle ablaze.

Another source said that after the clash, OPSH operatives reinforced and returned to unleash mayhem on the community.

Residents were reportedly pursued out of their homes, with houses and vehicles destroyed and some members of the community arrested.

A resident of the community who gave his name as Michael Chung said: “It is unfortunate that security operatives, whose constitutional responsibility is to protect the lives and property of citizens, would be involved in such an act.

“These people told you they were going for a funeral, and you saw their outlook, some carrying posters of the deceased and leaves, but you engage in arguments with them; what about the civil-military relations being talked about

“For me, I didn’t see any reason for argument; they should have just allowed them to pass peacefully for their funeral, and no one would have heard about the burial.”