Governor of Plateau State Simon Lalong has relaxed curfews imposed on parts of the state due to insecurity.
The Governor, in a broadcast on Monday, said the 24-hour curfew in Jos North is now to be enforced from 6pm to 6am until further notice.
“The curfew in Jos South and Bassa is to also be further relaxed,” Lalong said.
“As from Monday 30th August 2021, the curfew shall be enforced between 10pm to 6am until further notice.”
The Governor noted that the ban on tricycles (Keke Napep) and hawkers remains in place within Jos/Bukuru metropolis.
Also, he announced that the Plateau Economic and Investment Summit earlier scheduled for September 1 and 2 has been postponed.
“A new date will be announced and communicated to all our invitees,” the Governor said. “We apologise for any inconveniences this postponement might cause.”
‘Purely criminal’
Recent attacks in Jos North, Bassa, Riyom, and Barkin Ladi have plunged Plateau into a state of high tension.
About 36 people were killed last week in Yelwa Zangam village, Zangam District in Jos North Local Government Area.
Many state governments have transported their indigenes from Jos metropolis and the University of Jos has been shut down.
While some have attributed the killings to ethnic and religious reasons, the state government has maintained they are “purely criminal activities that must be treated as such.”
“Even though they are quickly given ethno-religious connotations, there is no justification for the killing of anyone human being,” Lalong said on Monday.
“We are a society that is guided by rules which do not permit anyone to take the laws into his or her hands no matter the grievances.”
To resolve the security crisis, Lalong said he has engaged with high level stakeholders, including traditional, political, community and religious leaders.
“It is important to state that we have had several engagements with them in the past and made efforts to ensure that peace prevails in the area,” the Governor said.
“Between January and July this year, the Plateau Peace Building Agency has conducted over 34 mediation engagements at community levels in Miango, Kwall, Dusten Kura, and Gyelobari Districts of Bassa LGA.
“In response to the attacks, I also held meetings with the Plateau Inter-Religious Council and directed them, along with the Peace Building Agency to swing into action by carrying out more consultations and engagements to defuse tensions, calm nerves and dig deep into the immediate and remote causes of these conflicts with a view to bringing the ugly situation to an end.”