Jos: Living in Conflicts and Crisis for a Quarter of a Century; Where Peace Became a Paranormal Stranger (1)

By: Balami Lazarus

Imagine a child born in Jos 25 years ago is today an adult by all standards, probably married with a child. And certainly the young man has passed through tense moments, conflicts, and crises that came with hatred, destruction, and killings among the citizens of the state where the lives of the young and the old were not spared.

Looking back with nostalgia when my peers and I were young secondary students in Plato College Sharam, peace was a permanent resident, residing in quietness and recollection when Jos was a melting point of coexistence among the inhabitants in both public and social life. What happened to the question tag?

The Jos conflicts/crisis has suffocated the metropolitan environment over time and space, pollinated by suspicion of ethno-religious and extremist teachings of ideologies in cells carried out by some elements that have created hatred and fear among the people.

Of late, this crisis has turned into terrorist and bandit attacks, claiming more lives than before. And for some residents, including this writer, it is no longer strange nor an item of public discussion in the affairs of some citizens. Because it has been with the people as a paranormal mystery for a quarter of a century (25 years).

However, the loss of lives is the most disturbing central theme in this crisis and/or attacks. Political and economic progress are stagnated; businesses are backstage affairs conducted with fear in a helter-skelter fashion in exchange for goods and services.

The hatchlings of these bloody conflicts and crises have manifested in no-go areas with devastating effects on the intra-micro commercial/corporate business transactions. Rebellion subjects, enemies of peace, have long polarized the city of Jos into ethno-religious and political divides.

The year 2001 was the beginning of Jos’s crisis that has become cyclical these several seasons within the Jos and Bukuru metropolises.

The attitudes of the affected and concerned citizens have illuminated the depths of their feelings, revealing a kaleidoscope of doubts as Nigerians. The Ungwan Rukuba killing spree and the decades of unrest in Jos have raised motions for the identity and reconstruction of the Nigerian state.

To be continued.

Balami, Publisher/Columnist. 08036779290

Jos: Living in Conflicts and Crisis for a Quarter of a Century; Where Peace Became a Paranormal Stranger (1)

Nation mourns as brave Commanding Officer, six soldiers fall after repelling attack in Monguno

By: Zagazola Makama

Grief and solemn reflection have trailed the tragic loss of a Commanding Officer and six gallant soldiers of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), whose lives were cut short shortly after successfully repelling a terrorist attack in Monguno, Borno.

In the late hours of April 12, troops of Sector 3, Joint Task Force (North East), came under an isolated infiltration attempt at Charlie 13 location. With courage and determination, the soldiers engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle, eventually forcing them to flee and securing the area.

But even in victory, tragedy struck. Driven by an unyielding sense of duty and deep concern for his men, the Commanding Officer chose to move forward, towards the very danger others would avoid, to personally assess the situation on ground. It was a decision that reflected the very essence of true leadership: to lead from the front, to share in the risks, and to stand shoulder to shoulder with his troops.

In that moment of selfless courage, his vehicle encountered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), killing him and six of his men. Their loss is not just a statistic, it is a profound human tragedy.

They were fathers, brothers, sons, and comrades. They were men who wore the nation’s uniform with pride, who stood in the face of danger so others could sleep in peace. They did not retreat when confronted with terror; instead, they stood firm, defended their ground, and ultimately gave everything.

The silence they leave behind echoes loudly across the ranks.

Operation HADIN KAI, in a statement by its Media Information Officer, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, expressed deep sorrow, describing the fallen officer as a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to duty. Their ultimate sacrifice, the statement noted, will forever remain etched in the memory of the Armed Forces and the nation they served with honour.

As the country mourns these heroes, their bravery lives on not only in the victory they secured that night, but in the enduring reminder that freedom and security are often paid for with the highest price.

Nation mourns as brave Commanding Officer, six soldiers fall after repelling attack in Monguno

Troops rescue kidnap victim in kogi

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, have rescued a kidnap victim during a patrol operation in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi.

Zagazola report that the rescue was carried out at about 2:07 p.m. on April 10 by troops deployed at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Egbe.

Sources said the troops, while on patrol within the general area of Aaru Cashew Plantation, located the victim who had been abandoned by his captors.

Preliminary interrogation revealed that the victim was abducted on April 1 at Ejiba Community in the same local government area.

He further disclosed that the kidnappers fled and abandoned him upon sighting troops advancing towards the Dadi Kowa general area.

The victim was subsequently debriefed and safely reunited with his family.

Troops rescue kidnap victim in kogi