Sectarian Violence: Urhobo Community Canvasses Death Sentence, Life Jail For Killers, Arsonists

Worried by the incessant sectarian violence in Plateau state in the past 10 years, and its attendant aftermath, the Urhobo community in Jos, has canvassed for summary execution and life jail for murderers and arsonists respectively.

Members of the community, who stormed the judicial commission of inquiry into the mayhem in Jos, the state capital, on Nov. 28, last year, in their traditional dress, with resources control hats, lamented that it lose physical property worth N91m.

Besides, the community which disclosed that it came to Jos in 1880 stated that 59 of its members were affected by the riots. Mr. Madiaga Emudinohwo, a builder and quantity surveyor, who presented the community’s memo No. JCI/J/196/2009, told the commission that his community lose four persons to the riots.

He lamented that the “push” by Hausa Muslims in Jos was a “thrust in the soul of Nigerian”. The mayhem, he stressed would re-occur if necessary measures were not taken. Consequently, he advised the Hausa-Fulani Moslems to sheath their swords, and employ lawful means of seeking re-dress.

Emudinohwo further canvassed for the establishment of Army Barracks in the volatile areas of Jos metropolis. According to him, the Maxwell Kobe Cantonment, Rukuba, Headquarters of 3 Armoured Division of Nigerian Army is too far from Jos as far quelling riots was concerned. According to him, the Moslems fundamentalists have capitalized on that to attack Christians before the arrival of the military personnel.

Meanwhile, a lecturer on the payroll of university of Jos, Mrs. L.T. Oriade told the commission that she lose N8m worth of property, her academic credentials, and her children’s own to the riots, Mrs. Oriade, 60, who told the commission that she is a widow, lamented that everything she acquire in life were destroyed during the mayhem.