Appeals to Plateau Govt ,Police for help
The family of the late Yilbet Samwa Tongshang of Bul community in Kabwir District, Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State, has appealed to the Plateau State Police Command and 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 allegedly identified as Yunusa Dungkolma Tenwa, Augustine Gomgchim, John Bunwa, Jidim Munanji, and others reportedly conspired and attacked the deceased with machetes and other dangerous weapons.
According to the statement, the attackers not only inflicted fatal injuries on the victim but also allegedly set fire on 13 houses belonging to different members of the Bul community, destroying properties estimated at over ₦100 million.
According to them ‘”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.
They said The case was subsequently transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Jos for further investigation.
However, the family expressed concern that while investigations were ongoing,a government official allegedly summoned both parties to his office in the presence of the Kanke Local Government Chairman, Hon. Lapching Golime, and some stakeholders.
The family claimed that the commissioner alongside the local government chairman had directed that the suspects be released on bail for the local government to handle the matter internally, investigate and assured of justice. Following that directive, eight suspects were 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.”
They further alleged attempts by local authorities 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, the family’s solicitors, Ladan Attorneys & Co, reaffirmed their clients’ position, urging the police to ensure that the accused persons are arraigned before a competent court of law.
The letter, signed by Barr. Ismaila Ladan, stated that the alleged perpetrators were released through what was described as an “unconstitutional administrative bail,” and that the suspects have since been boasting that nothing will come out of the case due to political interference.
“Our clients are calling on your good office to intervene and ensure that justice prevails,” the petition read. “No one should take another person’s life and go unpunished.”
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 only demand is justice both for their slain relative and for those whose homes and livelihoods were destroyed in the attack.