Anguwan Rukuba Leaders Reject Protest, Warn Against Actions Capable of Threatening Community Peace
Yakubu Busari
Community leaders under the umbrella of the Anguwan Rukuba Concerned Group have distanced themselves from the recent protest held in Anguwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, warning against any action capable of creating tension or disrupting the peace in the community.
Their position was made known at a media briefing of the group led by former Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) Secretary of Jos North Local Government Area, Hon. Solomon Danshutu Sanda, held at the university of Jos guest House Dogon Dutse, where members unanimously condemned attempts by some individuals to use the community as a platform for expressing political disagreements.
The group maintained that Anguwan Rukuba is not a place for intimidating residents or creating public unrest, stressing that it does not support any activity capable of inciting violence or undermining the peaceful coexistence enjoyed by the people.
Speaking during the meeting, members noted that Anguwan Rukuba serves as a major route linking several communities, making it unsuitable for protests that could expose women, children, youths, students, traders, and other road users to fear, insecurity, and unnecessary danger.
They advised residents of Anguwan Rukuba and other parts of Jos North who may have grievances against the government or political concerns to seek redress through appropriate government institutions and other lawful channels instead of engaging in activities that could intimidate innocent citizens or threaten public order.
According to the group, its position is guided by a firm commitment to peace, unity, mutual respect, and harmonious coexistence among all residents, irrespective of ethnic background or religion.
Elderly men and women who attended the meeting expressed full support for the group’s stand and dissociated themselves from the protest, insisting that it does not represent the views or collective interest of the people of Anguwan Rukuba.
The elders also condemned attempts by some individuals to involve their Muslim neighbours in circulating information or linking them to the protest in a manner that could create suspicion or trigger fresh conflict. They urged residents to avoid statements and actions capable of creating division among communities that have lived peacefully together for many years.
The group further appealed to residents to become ambassadors of peace by cooperating with the government and security agencies in sustaining law and order. It also called on security agencies to remain vigilant and take proactive measures to identify and prevent any act capable of causing public disorder before it escalates into a threat to peace.
Also speaking at the meeting, Hon. Sati Zubairu urged both the youth and elders of Anguwan Rukuba to safeguard the reputation of the community and resist attempts to use politics as a tool for creating unrest or intimidating residents through street protests that could be hijacked by enemies of peace, hence the need to advise them to use disputes resolution mechanism of the party,
He emphasized that peace remains the foundation of development and called on every member of the community to play an active role in preserving the harmony and stability for which Anguwan Rukuba is known.
