Jos — Commander of the Special Task Force in Jos, Brig-Gen Hassan Umaru, has urged the city’s residents to avoid living in separate settlements as peace gradually returns to their community.

“It is not good that Christians and Muslims should live in separate environments. That will continue to breed fear and suspicion. When you live together, you can share ideas, and that will boost mutual love and respect,” Umaru said yesterday in Jos.

Umaru held a meeting with stakeholders and youth leaders of Tudun Wada, Jenta Adamu and Angwan Rukuba communities of Jos.

The meeting was part of activities to mark the New Year celebration in the city which had on December 24, 2010 suffered from a spate of bomb blasts which left many people dead and many others injured.

The security official told the Jos residents that living separately breeds hatred and disharmony among them, while living together breeds peaceful co-existence.