Plateau Police Commissioner Debunks Reports of Violence During Shi’ite Procession in Jos

By Muhammad Tanko Shittu

Jos

The Plateau State commissioner of Police Adekunle Oladunjoye , have yesterday said there was no linked what so ever between the procession by the Shi’ite women forum and the thuggery incident which happened that led to the death of one person last Saturday in Jos.

The commissioner stated this at a press conference held at the state Headquarters of Police in Jos.

According to him, ” the Shiite procession has no correlation with the incident that happened along Bauchi Road which led to the killing of one person on Saturday.”

He said the procession went on peacefully from Anguwan Rogo which is their headquarters to the Jos Central Mosque.

“Our men witnessed the procession. Besides that, the Procession took place in the morning of Saturday while the other incident occurred around evening time, ” the commissioner added.

Iweha was reported in the media saying; “the Shiite procession on Saturday led to the death of one person and the destruction of property and vehicles.”

Iweha also said: “It might interest you to know that violence broke out during  the procession of the Shi’ites around Gangare, Rikkos, Nassarawa, Angwan  Rogo and Bauchi road within Jos metropolis at the weekend.”

Similarly, the Jos zonal leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria Malam Adamu Tsoho has debunked the statement credited to the Media officer of Operation Safe Haven  Captain Ikedechi Iweha, alleging that the procession ended in violence.

Malam Tsoho expressed that it was not true that the procession by sisters of their women forum had led to the killing of one person; “as allegedly said by the military.”

He said the statement by the police clearly; “shows that the police did their work thoroughly by investigating what really happened on that day, which the soldiers ought to have done but not acting on rumour mongering.

“Our sisters did not even followed the roads which the soldiers have said that they do.”

According to him the sisters having firstly addressed the press at Markas  in Anguwan Rogo they make procession through Bauch road, down to Zololo junction, followed Mango street and terminated at Massallacin Juma’a street peacefully.

“Our youths are not imbibers of alcoholism talk less of them engaging themselves into thuggery, therefore the violence as reported by the soldiers which lead to the death of one youth was as a result of the procession carried out by the women forum,” he added.

Tsoho corroborated the CP’s statement that the procession occurred in the morning, while the thuggery act occurred in the evening.

The zonal leader reiterated their clarion call demanding for; “unreserved apology and compensation from the Nigeria military over the unjustified killing of our members in Zaria.”

He Further urged the federal government to take sincere measures aim at finding out the real thing that had caused the molestation and killings of their members by the military in Zaria.