Appeals to Plateau Government and Police for Intervention
By Israel Adamu, Jos
The family of the late Yilbet Samwa Tongshang of Bul community in Kabwir District, Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State, has called on the Plateau State Police Command and other relevant authorities to ensure justice over the alleged killing of their son and the destruction of property worth millions of naira.
In a press statement jointly signed by Lengkat Tongshang (the complainant) and Nde Paul Tongshang (on behalf of the victim’s family), the family alleged that on March 5, 2025, a group of individuals identified as Yunusa Dungkolma Tenwa, Augustine Gomgchim, John Bunwa, Jidim Munanji, and others allegedly conspired and attacked the deceased with machetes and other dangerous weapons.
According to the statement, the attackers inflicted fatal injuries on the victim and set fire to 13 houses belonging to different members of the Bul community, destroying properties valued at over N100 million.
“The matter was reported to the Divisional Police Headquarters in Kanke, and the injured victim was taken to General Hospital Kanke, where he was later confirmed dead,” the statement read.
The family further explained that the case was transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Jos for further investigation. However, they expressed concern that while investigations were ongoing, a government official allegedly summoned both parties to a meeting in the presence of the Kanke Local Government Chairman, Hon. Lapching Golime, and some stakeholders.
They claimed that the official, along with the chairman, directed that the suspects be released on bail so that the local government could handle the matter internally and ensure justice. Following that directive, eight suspects were reportedly released.
“Since their release, nothing has been done by the local government chairman as promised,” the family lamented. “We have visited the police at CID Jos several times, but we are being told to go and beg the chairman, who has since become inaccessible.”
The family accused local authorities of attempting to shield the suspects from prosecution, describing the development as “an injustice that must not be ignored.”
In a petition addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, and signed by Barr. Ismaila Ladan of Ladan Attorneys & Co, the family’s solicitors urged the police to ensure that the accused persons are charged before a competent court of law.
The petition stated that the suspects were released through an “unconstitutional administrative bail” and have since been boasting that nothing will come of the case due to political interference.
“Our clients are calling on your good office to intervene and ensure that justice prevails. No one should take another person’s life and go unpunished,” the letter read.
The Tongshang family appealed to the Plateau State Government, civil society organizations, and the public to condemn the alleged injustice and demand accountability for the killing and arson in Bul community.
They emphasized that their sole demand is justice — both for their slain relative and for those whose homes and livelihoods were destroyed in the attack.
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