The Plateau State Police Command says it has commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged killing of a security guard in the Jos North Local Government Area of the state.
PUNCH Online reported that some angry youths on Tuesday morning set the house of a farmer, identified as Papa Ifeanyi, ablaze in the Angwa Rukuba-Etoo Baba community, alleging that the farmer’s son, simply known as Ifeanyi, killed his father’s farm security guard.
Our correspondent gathered that the angry youths also went to Papa Ifeanyi’s poultry farm within the locality and looted his birds before setting the farm ablaze as well.
A resident of the community, Mrs Janet Haruna, who confirmed the incident to PUNCH Metro, said the action of the youths followed an alleged killing of a security man said to be working for the farmer.
Haruna said, “We need help in our Angwa Rukuba-Etoo Baba community in the Jos North LGA because some angry youths have just set the house of a farmer on fire.
“The fire has just burnt the house including the cars parked in the farmer’s compound and it has just spread to another building belonging to his neighbour.
“From what I heard, the youths were angry because a security man working for the farmer was killed after he was accused of stealing some eggs from his poultry farm.
“It was the farmer’s son who was alleged to have killed the security guard at the poultry farm.
“The son, who had been suspecting the security guard of stealing, was said to have caught him red-handed and started beating him. In the process, the security guard collapsed and died; then the youths came to the family house of his father and set it ablaze. The corpse of the security guard has been evacuated to the hospital.”
Another resident, Dachung Reuben, said that a youth leader in the community, who was pleading with the irate youths not to burn the property of the farmer, was hit by a stray bullet and was rushed to the hospital.
“We don’t know who shot the bullet that hit the youth leader. He (the youth leader) was just standing in front of the farmer’s house and was begging the youths not to set his house ablaze, but some security men came and fired tear gas to disperse the angry youths. People started running in different directions. Then, we discovered that the youth leader who was standing had been shot at. So, some people came and rushed him to the hospital,” Reuben narrated.
It was learnt that men of the state fire service had arrived at the community to stop the fire from spreading to other areas while security operatives had been deployed to the community to forestall further breakdown of law and order.
When contacted, the spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, said that an investigation had commenced to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“We are not going to say anything for now. We are only confirming that there was an incident there. The DPO has visited the community. The Area Commander was also there. Men of the Special Military Taskforce were equally there to give support to the police. So, we are investigating,” the PPRO said.