A fresh crisis has erupted in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, resulting in loss of lives and extensive property damage. Reports indicate that several people were killed, and numerous houses, along with churches and mosques, were set ablaze during the unrest.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang responded swiftly by declaring a 24-hour curfew in the Mangu local government area in an effort to quell the escalating situation.
The unrest was reportedly triggered by a misunderstanding between two individuals in the council area, as revealed by Brig.-Gen. Gakji Shipi, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security and Homeland Safety, during an interview with newsmen.
“The current situation in Mangu is a result of two people that escalated. The crisis is not political or has anything to do with the farmers-herders crisis. It was just two human beings that had an altercation and by coincidence, one of them happens to be a herder and the other person is a native.
“The native was crossing with his motorcycle and the Fulani was grazing his cattle and crossing the road and that obstructed traffic and there was an altercation between them. When that happened, the Fulani people came in support of their own and the natives also came in support of their own and the thing just got out of hands and that led to the imposition of curfew in Mangu,” he said.
A former lawmaker representing Mangu South, Bala Fwangji, confirmed the arson to Punch.
Fwangji said, “What happened today in Mangu is not good at all. We just woke up to hear that some people are burning houses in Mangu and attacking anyone in sight. I cannot tell you how many houses were burnt, or the number of people attacked or killed, but these things happened today. But we thank God the security agents have been deployed and the situation is calm now.”
The Secretary-General of Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives, Nanle Gujor, however, told the publication that four persons were killed during the unrest.
He said, “I returned to Jos from Abuja and given what happened in Mangu today, we are not happy. We are still assessing the situation, but I was told that four persons were killed. I will let you know the details of the situation when we are done.”
