Tension Gripped the Gero community in the Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, North central Nigeria, on Monday after the bodies of two unidentified females were discovered behind the headquarters of the council.
The discovery sparked widespread protests by women in the area, who took to the streets and temporarily blocked a section of the expressway, causing heavy traffic disruption.
Eyewitnesses said the bodies were found early Monday morning, prompting residents to troop to the scene.
A resident of Gero, Mary Loknan, confirmed the incident to PUNCH Metro in Jos on Monday.
“Yes, I can confirm to you, and this is to inform the general public that the bodies of two females were discovered behind the headquarters of Jos South Local Government Area, Plateau State, earlier this morning,” she said.
Another resident, who asked not to be named, said women in the community mobilised in anger and blocked the road to demand justice and answers from authorities.
“We woke up to a terrible sight this morning. The women could not hold it anymore. We want the government and security agencies to investigate and tell us what happened to these girls,” the resident stated.
A commercial driver plying the route, Ibrahim Sule, said the protest disrupted movement for several hours.
“Traffic was completely held. We couldn’t pass for over an hour. But soldiers and police later came and cleared the road,” he said.
It was learnt that security personnel were deployed to the area, restored order, and later reopened the road to motorists.
The spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, was not readily available when contacted, but one of the security operatives who participated in restoring order in the community urged calm and called on residents to allow investigations to proceed.
“Following the discovery, some protesters temporarily blocked a section of the expressway, resulting in a disruption of traffic. Security personnel responded promptly to the situation, restored calm, and have reopened the affected route,” the statement read.
He added, “Members of the public are advised to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information or rumours, and cooperate with security agencies as they carry out investigations into the incident. Motorists and commuters should continue to exercise caution and follow the directives of security personnel where necessary.”
The source further appealed to residents to maintain peace.
“Let us all remain law-abiding and contribute to maintaining peace and public order while allowing the appropriate authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate incident.”
As of the time of filing this report, the identities of the deceased and the cause of their deaths had not been officially confirmed.
Residents have called on the Plateau State Government and security agencies to unravel the circumstances surrounding the deaths and bring those responsible to justice.
Source: Punch
