Women in Plateau State disrupted the burial of 28 victims, protesting the arrest of some youths by security operatives.
The incident occurred during a funeral service for those killed in the Palm Sunday attack in Angwan Rukuba, located in Jos North Local Government Area. The protesting women, carrying leaves and singing, blocked the church entrance and insisted the burial would not proceed until the detained youths were released.
“We will not allow the burial to take place until our sons are released,” one of the protesters, Rhoda Aliyu, said.
“Those arrested by soldiers are innocent. They are not the ones who carried out the killings. They should go after the perpetrators and leave our youths alone, and we will not let them be detained unfairly,” another protester, Mathew Bulus, said.
The protest escalated tensions in the community, especially as some of the victims’ bodies had already been brought to the venue. The women, supported by some youths, locked the church gates, alleging that three local youths had been wrongly arrested in connection with the attack.
A community source revealed that the demonstrators demanded the unconditional release of those arrested before allowing the burial to continue.
The attack, carried out by suspected bandits on Palm Sunday night, left over 28 people dead and several others injured after gunmen opened fire on residents.
Following the incident, Bola Tinubu visited Plateau State, expressed condolences to affected families, and directed security agencies to apprehend those responsible. He also approved the installation of over 5,000 AI-powered CCTV cameras to strengthen security.
Similarly, Caleb Mutfwang condemned the killings, describing them as a calculated attempt to destabilise the state. He assured residents that justice would be served and urged community leaders to work with authorities to restore peace.
As of the time of reporting, security agencies had yet to respond to inquiries regarding the arrests and the growing tension in the area.
