The people of Naraguta community in Jos North local government area of Plateau state have urged the authority of the University of Jos to halt its planed erection of fence close to the community in the interest of peace.
The community appealed to authorities at all levels, to compel the university to stop the fencing work it started in the disputed area for the interest of peaceful coexistence.
This was contained in the community’s press release, Monday and signed by Abubakar Ibrahim Nuhu.
He said the community resolved after an emergency meeting held at the palace of the senior community leader, Muhammad Bello, who briefed them about the meeting they held with the secretary to the government of the state, Professor Danladi Atu, following Saturday’s uproar that led to the killing of one person and the destruction of some properties in the community.
The community said they commended authorities and security agencies for swiftly curtailing the mayhem that almost erupted as a result of an alleged shooting of a member of the community by the security operatives sent to the area for the fencing work that resulted in the destruction of a worship center and a house by miscreants from both the Muslim and the Christian sides.
“The community was also quick to call on governments at all levels, to order the stop of the fencing project embarked upon by the University of Jos, as they are trying all that is needed to calm down youth of the community from taking law into their hands,” the release read in part.
The community said the perceived taking over of the land of the defunct Nigerian Bricks and Clay Products (Nigerian Mining Corporation) bought by the university from Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE), is the remote and immediate causes of the problem.
They said: “The community raised concerns on the need to resolve some of the grey areas in the matter bordering on the actual extent of the NMC’s land sold to the university,” adding that until that is resolved, the misunderstanding may not abate.
“As a peace loving people, the community also appealed to all critical stakeholders from the neighboring Jos and other places to join them in making authorities to see the reasons and importance of stopping the University of Jos from continuing the fencing project in the interest of peace and to ensure justice to both parties,” they appealed.
