Jemgbagh youths in Gboko, Benue State on Monday afternoon Dec
3rd, stormed Gboko main market with operation "Say no to cultism" and
forcefully cut people's hair. According to the youths, anyone who keeps
long hair is a cultist. Activists in the state have expressed outrage
over the 'barbaric' treatment. Ukan Kurugh shared some photos from the
scene of the incident. His post below:
"Described
as Jemgbagh youths and carrying assorted weapons like cutlasses and
clubs, moving in a bus inscribed with Flight Transport limited, some
young men today threatened the prevailing peace in Gboko by attacking
people keeping hair and forcefully shaving them. They claimed they were
out to hunt cultists. This act nearly sent the town into confusion. As
at the time of filing this report, it was not clear under whose
authority they were acting but many persons expressed worry that, the
act was an infringement of peoples fundamental human right to personal
liberty and dignity of human person. ''The young men were said to chase
on sight, any person wearing afro styled hair and ensure that such a
person was shaved. They are also said to have arrested some persons on
allegations of cultism. The question that has remained on the peoples
lips is where such authority would have emanated and whether or not,
they have a constitutional duty to do what they did. Further reports
have it that, calm has returned after complaints flooded against the
act, meanwhile, I wish to call on the Tor Tiv, the Benue State
Commissioner of Police and the Gboko LGC chairperson as well as the
Governor of Benue State to take the necessary steps to address this show
of unconstitutionality. It questions lawfulness to see youths take laws
into their hands and infringe on other peoples rights" Another
activist, Andy shared his opinion thus: "Because Gboko is a lawless
place?Bunch of irresponsible propensityNo Idiot born of a woman can do
this to me or any of my relations in the name of "Jemgbagh Youths Say No
to Cultism and Indecent Dressing"Is this the only way to put a halt to
cultism?What Nonsense!Because Gboko is a lawless place these idiots keep
parading on the streets doing nonsense!Is it by keeping hair that one
would be termed a cultist?Some of these illiterates doing this maybe
because they are HIV positive so perhaps they feel this is the only way
they can transfer the disease to innocent people by using their scissors
to carry out this evil.This is rubbish i repeat.""This is advanced
thuggery and this very molestation of innocent citizens by these bunch
of irresponsible Jobless fellows parading under the auspices of Jemgbagh
Youths must be totally condemned.We shall stage a protest to this
effect right to our father the Tor-Tiv and register our
dissatisfaction.This is barbaric and we are bigger than this in
Benue." See more photos below...
