Gunmen have killed no fewer than 36 persons while several others were injured in a fresh attack which occurred in Ahwol Ward, Naraguta community, in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau state. According to the PUNCH, it was gathered that the gunmen stormed the community with sophisticated weapons around 10 pm on Tuesday night and killed the victims while several others who sustained injuries during the attack have been rushed to the Bingham University Teaching Hospital in Jos, the state capital. The Paramount ruler of the Anaguta ethnic nationality in the state, Ujah Johnson Jauro confirmed the attack to The PUNCH in Jos on Wednesday The Paramount ruler said, “Yes, it’s true. I have been informed that some gunmen attacked my people last night in Naraguta community with many casualties. But we are still investigating to know what really happened.” The Councilor for Ahwol Ward in the community, Yusuf Ali, who also confirmed the attack, said that people were burnt alive in the affected area. Another resident, Jeremiah Bulus, said, “corpses have been taken to the mortuary this morning and people are still making efforts to recover more corpses from several houses which the gunmen also set ablaze. The situation is really bad for the people ” According to the Councillor, the gunmen first vandalised the iron bridge linking the community before attacking the people which made it difficult for the security agents to assess the area when they were contacted over the attacks. He said “The gunmen were just shooting in every direction when they arrived the community around 10 pm. For now, dead bodies have been recovered and we are still searching for more victims because the shooting was too much. “When the attack was going on, the Chairman of the Local Government called the security agents to mobilize to the area but it was discovered that the gunmen destroyed the iron bridge linking the community.” The Spokesman for the Plateau Police Command, Ubah Ogaba, could not be reached when contacted. Also, several calls put across to the Military Information Officer of the Operation Safe Have , Major Ishaku Takwa, were not answered as of the time of filing this report.

Four states in the South-East of Nigeria have moved in to evacuate their citizens from Jos, the Plateau state capital following the escalation of violence in the area and the closure of the University of Jos. The states are Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Anambra. While Enugu has completed the evacuation of their citizens from the conflict area, Abia as at the time of filing this report, has its citizens on the heading home to the South-East, with Ebonyi State commencing the procedure for the evacuation of their citizens from Jos. The Enugu State Government disclosed that it has safely evacuated 135 indigenes of the state who are students of University of Jos (UNIJOS) from the school to their respective homes and destinations following the crisis. Special Adviser to Gov. Ugwuanyi on Students Affairs, Hon. Chidi Ilogebe, disclosed that 37 evacuated students returned safely to Enugu yesterday, 28 were conveyed to Abuja to join their loved ones while others were taken to their various homes within Plateau and surrounding areas based on their requests, amid tight security. Contacted around 9:30am Tuesday, the Commissioner for Information in Abia state, Chief John Okeiyi Kalu, told our correspondent that he was in contact with the evacuation delegation from the state and Abia indigenes in the crisis area has been evacuated. “I can assure you, the Abia State Government has already evacuated our indigenes from the area of conflict. I am in contact with the evacuation team and our people are already being conveyed home. As at our last communication, they have crossed Nasarawa state heading under tight security.” The Ebonyi state government has since Monday, also activated the process of evacuating citizens of the state from Jos. A statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji noted that following the violent disturbances that led to the closure of University of Jos, Plateau State, the Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi had authorized the evacuation of the stranded students of Ebonyi State origin from the University. “Consequently, government officials have been dispatched to the institution to ensure safe return of the affected students with immediate effect while we hope that the situation will abate to enable the students resume their studies”, the statement read. Just yesterday evening, the Anambra State Government announced the process of evacuating citizens of the state stranded in Jos, Plateau State. The statement was signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Don Adinuba. The statement noted that, “The evacuation will now be handled by both the Anambra State Liaison Office in Abuja and GUO Transport Company Ltd which has a strong operation in Jos. This is to make for greater efficiency.” The statement further read: “Every student of the University of Jos from Anambra State who wants to return immediately to the State is required to go to the GUO station in Jos and present his or her student identity card as well as an identity card showing membership of the Anambra State Students Association of the University. An arrangement has also been made to pick up students who may not be able to leave the university campus. Any student who has any difficulty whatsoever can contact the Liaison Office in Abuja for immediate assistance.” It is hoped that the Imo state government will follow suit and expedite the evacuation of their citizens from the crisis area in Jos, Plateau State.

The Federal Government has dismissed the calls of Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State, his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom, some individuals and organisations, that people should defend themselves against bandits. The Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammed Dingyadi, during the 2nd annual media briefing at Force headquarters in Abuja, said the government was not in support of citizen self-defence as proposed, saying Masari and others are entitled to their opinions. “I think we should know that we are in Nigeria, where everybody is entitled to his opinion. I think the governor has the right to canvass for what he thinks it is right in his state,” the minister said. He, however, justified the calls if it is based on community policing strategies in order to improve security of the communities. Dingyadi also stressed that the challenges presented by the bandits was the guerilla warfare strategy of hit-and-run which the armed forces were determined to contain. According to him, the government and the armed forces needed the support of the citizenry as the government was “equal to the task”. He added, “Of course, we shouldn’t expect the people to just be sleeping without taking measures to ensure that they secure themselves, they secure their neighbours and they secure their communities. That is the essence of community policing. “So, we need to have the support and partnership of Nigerians in the efforts we are making towards fighting crimes and criminalities. I think that is what the governor is talking about. “Everybody should contribute his quota towards fighting crimes. We are not saying people should take arms illegally. “What we’re saying is that people should get ready in whatever it takes to do so, to ensure that we protect ourselves, we protect our neighbours, we protect our communities.”