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Twenty-three civil society organisations under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Societies for Peace and Human Rights (COCIPAH), has condemned the massive looting and burning of public and private properties, in the wake of the #EndSARS protest across the country, especially in Plateau State.
Aside appealing to Governor Simon Lalong to initiate a peace deal with the youth in order to forestall a repetition of the situation, COCIPAH, hailed the Special Military Task Force codenamed Operation Safe Haven, (OPSH), for handling the situation professionally.
COCIPAH National Chairman, Gyang Sha, and National Secretary, Simon Ventim, in a statement on Friday, condemned the looting and destruction of both private and public property by hoodlums who hijacked the protests.
The statement said: โWe condemn in the strongest terms the recent mass looting and stealing of both government and private properties in some parts of Nigeria, particularly in Jos, Plateau State and call on law enforcement agencies to swing into action with a view to arresting the perpetrators of these crimes against humanity.
โDespite some of the shortcomings of our government to the plight of its citizens, nobody has the justification to take laws into his or her hands.
โWe wish to appreciate the Nigeria military over the restraint and show of professionalism it exhibited during and after the violent uprising in the country.
โThis approach went a long way in managing the conflict and positioning our army as a democratically infused one.
โWe want to particularly commend Operation Safe Haven, the special military task force setup to keep peace in Plateau, Southern Kaduna and Bauchi states, for the exceptional role they played in deescalating the violent conflict in Jos.
โWe were particularly worried about Jos because it is a melting point and any conflict that escalates in the state may have national consequences because of its religious and ethnic sensitivities.
โBut we are pleased with the professionalism exhibited by Operation Safe Haven and other security agencies in handling the situation.
โAt a point before the military came out, the hoodlums and looters were operating with impunity, stealing and destroying peopleโs private properties unchallenged until Operation Safe Haven stepped in and saved the situation.
โThey made several arrests and recovered exhibits of high magnitude. This singular act went a long way in deterring the looters who were operating initially as if there is no law in Nigeria.โ
It added: โWhile we call on Governor Simon Bako Lalong to set up machinery to begin youth engagement in the state, we discovered there is a huge communication gap between the youths and governance.
โThis is one of the major factors responsible for the high level of destruction in some states in Nigeria, particularly in Plateau State.โ
