A clash between youths and military officers at a checkpoint in the Maraban Jema’a area of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State has claimed two persons.
The incident occurred on Monday, causing people in the area to run helter-skelter.
Also, the highway from Maraban Jema’a to Zerwan Junction, which leads to Jos was deserted and no vehicle was seen plying it as of the time of filing this report.
The clash broke out when mourners coming from a mortuary with a corpse and heading for a burial ground got to the checkpoint.
Many of the mourners who were youths were on motorcycles and on arriving at the checkpoint, the soldiers ordered them to alight from their motorcycles and push it across the spot.
But the youths did not reportedly heed the instruction but rather appealed to the officers who refused to oblige the request.
This led to shootings, and three youths were shot in the process.
“One died instantly and the other died in the hospital where they were rushed to,” a source said.
The killings provoked the youths who started demonstrating and set the military vehicle ablaze.
The spokesperson of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Captain John James, could not be reached for comments at press time.
Tension is still reportedly high as it was gathered that women are already mobilizing massively to protest in the area and on the highway.
