A Coalition of Civil Rights groups has condemned the shooting of a soldier attached to Operation Safe Haven, a military outfit in Plateau State, by aggrieved Plateau local government workers protesting non-implementation of the minimum wage in the state.

The groups under the auspices of Coalition of Civil Rights Group of Nigeria noted that the resort to violence by some of the protesters which resulted in the shooting of the soldier at the state secretariat was against the spirit of the protest.

The Coalition, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Arin Izan and Secretary, Mrs Esther Pam, respectively, condemned the shooting of the Army Lance Corporal by the protesters.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the shooting and wounding of an Army Lance Corporal attached to Operation Safe Haven by the protesting members of staff of local government councils in Plateau State at the state secretariat.

“This senseless act is a further confirmation that politicians and hoodlums have truly hijacked the protest and there is a need for government and security agencies to take drastic action because this desperate and selfish act may plunge our state into another round of violence,” the group said in a statement.

It further added that “it is so obvious that local government area workers’ protest has been hijacked by self-seeking politicians to destabilise the peace and tranquillity in Jos.

“We understand efforts are ongoing to resolve the issues with relevant stakeholders, however, some of the local government workers; obviously sponsored by some politicians, have remained adamant and preferred to protest.

“They prevented state government workers from gaining access to their offices in the state secretariat in the last three weeks,” it recalled.

The Coalition also noted that, “we saw protesters numbering about 3,000 trying to gain entrance into the state secretariat, but troops of Operation Safe Haven, men of the Nigeria Police as well as other security agencies already deployed to forestall any breakdown of law and order intervened to forestall breakdown of law but unfortunately, some of the protesters went violent by trying to forcibly gain entrance and harassing innocent citizens.

“A shot from the crowd hit one soldier attached to Operation Safe Haven and he was wounded. It is obvious that hoodlums have infiltrated the group.

“It is unfortunate that some people will be determined to disturb the peace and the tranquillity of Jos at the beginning of the year when most people are trying to put their lives together to face the New Year.

“We urge government and security agencies to do the needful and prevent these self-seeking politicians from having their way. They do not mean good for the workers they pretend to be supporting.

“We further, urge the security agencies to prosecute the protesters arrested during the protest.” (The Nation)

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