Hoodlums defy curfew, vandalise Plateau State Secretariat, others
Hoodlums have defied the 24-hour curfew to vandalise the Plateau State Secretariat, the Plateau Publishing Company, PPC, publishers of the Nigerian Standard Newspaper, and the State Water Board, all located in Jos.
Tanimola Obasa, the spokesman for the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, confirmed the incident to News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Jos.
According to Mr Obasa, the hoodlums, who perpetrated the unlawful act on Saturday, also vandalised the warehouses of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA and that of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and looted foodstuff and other items stored there.
He said the looters, who broke into the buildings in search of palliatives, destroyed properties and carted away some valuables.
“Yesterday, hoodlums broke into the warehouses of NEMA and SEMA and made away with foodstuff and other valuables.
“We made sure they didn’t tamper with properties of private individuals, but the whole thing went out of control.
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“They also vandalised the State Secretariat, the water board and other government buildings and made away with some valuables.
“With did our best to stop the hoodlums from carrying out the unlawful act, but because we didn’t want it to turn violent, we were careful in using force,”he said.
Paul Jatau, a Senior Editor with the Nigerian Standard Newspaper, told NAN that the hoodlums destroyed the building and vehicles belonging to members of staff of the company.
Mr Jatau, who is also the Chairman of the Plateau chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, however, said no one lost his life or got injured during the incident.
He said the prompt intervention of the security agencies brought the situation under control.
Similarly, Nangor Ndam, the spokesman for the water board, also confirmed that the hoodlums made away with some valuables from the board.
“They took away some things, including mechanic tools, spare parts, pumps, valves, generators and others.
“But they were unable to take away chemicals because they are heavy,” he said.
Mr Ndam, however, said the action of the hoodlums would not affect water supply in the state, as no functional pipe was vandalised by the miscreants.
NAN
