The Commissioner of Police in Plateau, Mr Edward Egbuka, said those behind the attack on commuters in Jos on Aug. 14 were miscreants and hoodlums who wanted to take advantage of the security situation in the state “to cause trouble and loot”.
The commissioner stated this at a briefing by Head of security agencies in the state to Gov. Simon Lalong.
The Commissioner of Police was backtracking from the earlier statement he issued through his Spokesman ASP Obah Ogaba wherein he expressly attributed the attack on a certain ethnic group and the victims on a certain religion.
The initial statement theCommisisoner of Police , Mr Edward Egbuka read thus:
the Plateau State Police Command received a distress call that a group of attackers suspected to be Irigwe youths and their sympathisers along Rukuba Road of Jos North LGA attacked a convoy of five buses with Muslim faithful who were coming back from the Annual Zikr prayer in Bauchi State and are heading to Ikare in Ondo State. Unfortunately, twenty-two (22) persons were killed and Fourteen injured in the attack.
Upon receipt of the report, a team of Police personnel, the military and other sister agencies were immediately mobilised to the scene where twenty one (21) victims were rescued and six suspects arrested.
The Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, CP Edward Egbuka along with the GOC 3-Division, Major General Ibrahim Ali, also visited the scene and ordered for a discreet investigation to fish out other perpetrators of this barbaric act at large.
Normalcy has returned to the area. The Cp warned that those that perpetrated this dastardly act & others that incited it, will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
The Command urges the public to remain calm and to furnish the Police with useful information that will aid the investigation.
Two days after issuing the initial statement, The Police Commissioner told Journalists at the government house that:
“These are miscreants and hoodlums who wanted to take advantage of the situation to cause trouble and loot. This was not the first time it has happened. We do not want to name anybody,”
According to him, a total of 36 persons have been rescued unhurt from the attack and are in good condition, adding that investigations are ongoing and arrests being made .
He advised the citizens to abide by the 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew imposed on Jos South and Bassa local government areas, and also the 24-hour curfew imposed on Jos North Local Government Area, saying the order was being enforced and that violators would be dealt with .
The commissioner said the imposition of the 24-hour curfew on Jos North local government area had curtailed the spread of violence in the metropolis where seven persons were killed.
He assured that security agencies would fish out the criminals and miscreants and be made to face the wrath of the law.
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