By Sam Kayode
High tension arose in greater Jos yesterday when a cortege of young Berom boys were taking their loved one to it’s final resting place from the mortuary.
Sources told metrowatchxtra.com that the Berom youths dominated the cortege chanting angry war songs while trekking from the resident of the deceased behind the Bukuru Secretariat and going towards the burial ground to bury their brother.
“In the process, they were alleged to have attacked motorists who dared to drive through the cortege after closing one side of the express way in the process of public mourning.
“They also attacked some people by stoning them for daring to challenge their actions along the express route connecting Jos town where the deceased was said to have been killed by cult boys and Bukuru where the funeral was to have taken place.
“Some of the residents who remonstrated against the action of the group were Hausa boys who also retaliated by pelting them and before we knew it, the whole thing was snow balling into a religious war around Gyel junction” said our source.
This further provoked the angry cortege so they started responding by breaking cars and dealing with anything on their paths as they trekked to the burial ground.
“That led to high tension which almost disrupted the peace of the area and the security personnel on ground in check points had no choice but to shoot in the air to disperse the crowd. While running Helter skelter leaving many wounded in the process.
“The entire Gyero round about immediately after the Jos South Council Secretariat became an area of pandemonium. Again, while others were running towards Bukuru market allegedly to cause more damage to property, the security were already on ground to nip everything in the bud.”
metrowatchxtra.com learnt that the long queue of residents seeking for petrol equally could not help matters because a lot of people were frustrated that they couldn’t get even a little of the product for their commercial bikes, yet they were being harassed by the mob so fight between the sympathizers and the motorists on the fuel queues was also inevitable”, said our eye witness.
The timely intervention by the civil defence officials on patrol after gun shots took the airwaves and the police and then the Special Task Force (STF) operation safe haven who came much later saved the situation from degenerating to a religious crisis which could have badly impeded the peace of the land once again.
Meanwhile spokesman of the STF major Tskowa said they are only on ground to ensure law and order.
“Yes the sector 6 troops of Operation SAFE HAVEN have intensified patrol in the general area” he submitted.
Confirming the incident, police public relations officer Ubah Ogaba told metrowatchxtra.com on phone that no life was lost in the crisis.
” Our men are also on ground keeping the peace of the area. There is no fighting going on in the area. Every one is going about his or her normal activities.” he said.
Meanwhile commuters traversing between Mararaba Jama and terminus can use the main 18km express way to get to anywhere of the town beyond bukuru including terminus.
