Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo

Following the forceful take over of government warehouses and looting of COVID-19 palliatives by irate youth in Jalingo on Saturday evening, the Taraba State Government has imposed a 24-hour curfew on Jalingo, the State capital, to forestall further breakdown of law and order.

The State’s Deputy Governor, Alhaji Haruna Manu, who made the declaration in a State broadcast on Saturday night, said that the curfew will last until 8 am on Monday when the State Government will review the situation.

‘Following certain bad happenings in the State and around the country, government has decided to impose a curfew on Jalingo, the State capital to forestall further breakdown of law and order. The curfew will run from 11:00pm on Saturday to 8am on Monday as government will thereafter review the situation.

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‘At about 5pm in the evening of today, Saturday, the 24th day of October 2020, vandals forced their way into government warehouses and looted essential commodities meant for distribution as palliatives in the State. Similarly, troublemakers are continuing to lay siege on the streets of the State capital which informed government’s decision to impose the 24 hour curfew to stop the situation from degenerating into mayhem. As a responsible government this step has become necessary to protect lives and properties of our dear people. The security agencies have been directed to be extra vigilant and stop trouble makers from seizing the opportunity to cause further destructions. This, they must do within the confines of the law and by protecting the human rights of our people.

‘Let me specifically appeal to our teeming youths to be law abiding so that their disposition can help government tame the hoodlums perpetuating this breach of public peace. Let me also call on all our law-abiding citizens to remain calm and not panic as their security is guaranteed,’ part of the text read.

Daily Sun reports that an angry mob of youths broke into the Taraba State Government warehouses at vetinary clinic along FGGC road and at the TSTC park, carting away food items meant to have been distributed to the people to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Related: Taraba: Six dead, others injured in Jalingo warehouse looting stampede