Plateau Residents Protest At Funeral Of Slain Victims Over Arrest Of Youths As ‘Bandits’

Angry residents staged a protest at an ECWA church in the Angwan Rukuba area of Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State.

The protest on Tuesday disrupted the funeral of some victims killed in the recent community attack.

The violence, which happened on March 29, left at least 28 people dead and several others injured after gunmen invaded the area.

The killings sparked widespread outrage online and led the Plateau State Government to impose a 48-hour curfew across the local government area.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang had condemned the attack, describing it as a brutal and unprovoked act.

During his visit to the community on March 30, the governor assured grieving families that the victims would not be buried in a mass grave, promising that each person would receive a proper and respectful burial.

On Tuesday, a joint funeral service was organised at the ECWA church for seven of the victims.

The service, however, was interrupted by protesting youths who accused security operatives of arresting three young men they claimed were defending the community during the attack.

The angry protesters, carrying placards with different messages, demanded the immediate release of the detained youths before the burial rites could continue.

One of the protesters questioned why the youths were being treated as criminals after their community had already suffered deadly attacks, calling the situation deeply unfair.

“How will they come and kill us and still capture our boys, saying they are bandits? For what reason?”

“This is wickedness of the highest level. If they don’t bring those boys, this funeral will not take place,” the protester said.

At the tile of filing this report, it remained uncertain whether the funeral service would continue, as emotions remained high and tension filled the area.

Watch the video below:

KanyiDaily recalls that Nigerians criticized President Bola Tinubu for speaking to Plateau attack victims at the Airport instead of going into Jos.