Dare Babalola
A funeral service for victims of the recent attack in Angwan Rukuba community, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, was disrupted on Tuesday following a protest by aggrieved youths.
The incident occurred at a church belonging to the Evangelical Church Winning All, where mourners had gathered to honour some of those killed in the March 29 attack on the community.
At least 28 people were reportedly killed, while several others sustained injuries when gunmen invaded the area, sparking outrage both locally and online.
The development also led the state government to impose a 48-hour curfew in Jos North to restore calm.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang had earlier condemned the killings, describing the assault as senseless and unjustified.
During a visit to the community a day after the attack, he assured grieving families that each victim would receive an individual and respectful burial, rejecting the idea of a mass interment.
Despite that assurance, a joint funeral was organised on Tuesday for seven of the deceased at the church.
The ceremony, however, took a dramatic turn when a group of youths stormed the venue, halting proceedings.
The protesters accused security operatives of detaining three young men from the community, whom they claimed had acted in self-defence during the attack.
Holding placards and chanting, the demonstrators demanded the immediate release of the detained individuals, insisting that the burial rites would not continue until their demands were met.
One of the protesters questioned the arrests, arguing that it was unjust for residents to be targeted after already suffering losses from the terror group.
Others described the situation as deeply unfair and vowed to resist any attempt to proceed with the funeral under such conditions.
As tensions escalated, uncertainty loomed over whether the funeral would resume, with emotions running high and security concerns mounting in the area.
