Hoodlums set cars, houses ablaze in Jos

• Published On: 17 June 2024 at 19:16

On Monday afternoon, some hoodlums set many automobiles on fire in the Bukuru metropolis, Jos South Local Government Area, Plateau State.

Hoodlums suspected of being anti-Jos city renewal efforts headed by state Governor Caleb Mutfwang's administration were alleged to have attacked passersby on sight, wounding dozens.

The violence began when several members of the Jos City Renewal Committee attempted to clear a site in the Bukuru neighbourhood but were met with resistance from the hoodlums, who attacked the officials.

The activity of the hoodlums caught locals off guard and caused panic in the town as they went on a rampage, destroying cars and setting houses ablaze.

Usman Ibrahim, a resident who watched the incident, said that when the hoodlums saw the officers, they began stoning them.

Usman stated, "It happened today afternoon in the Bukuru neighbourhood at 2 p.m. We spotted some officials from the Jos Metropolitan Development Board as they arrived in the village and moved to a previously cleaned area.

"As soon as they started marking the site, some hoodlums appeared and began hurling stones at the officials, claiming they would not allow any projects in the area. Before you knew it, they were burning cars parked along the road and attacking innocent bystanders.

"They also set some houses on fire. So everyone started running, and this is what occurred.

It was discovered that the prompt deployment of security officers to the community prevented the situation from worsening.

Some residents who reacted to the incident decried the hoodlums' actions.

They encouraged the government and security personnel to go after anyone seeking to stir problems and breach the peace in the metropolis of Jos and other parts of the state, allowing Plateau to progress.

Alabo Alfred, the spokesman for the state Police Command, verified the occurrence.

Alfred stated that security personnel had been assigned to the affected locality while the probe was underway.

"We are aware of the incident in Bukuru. Our men have been deployed in the community. I can't tell you what caused the problem, but we've launched an investigation and will notify you when we're finished. However, the situation is peaceful presently," the PPRO noted.


Hart Bankat, General Manager of JMDB, stated that Executive Order No. 003, 2024, became necessary due to the indiscriminate manner in which buildings were being erected and traffic control had deteriorated within the Greater Jos Master Plan, as well as the prevalence of building collapses in the state, and that the agency would ensure that the order's objectives were met.