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 propensity
No 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.”
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