Jos — Police and military personnel are to begin joint special patrols to boost the security situation and restore confidence in Jos residents.
Plateau Commissioner of  Police, Mr Abdulraham Akano, told newsmen, yesterday, in Jos that the initiative would reduce the mistrust against  the two security forces  by residents

“We have resolved to patrol the streets together. While the Hausa/Fulani community trusts the soldiers to maintain peace, the natives have shown some preference for the police. The police and the soldiers inherited the problem of mistrust among Jos residents because each of  the sides had always alleged bias against one of  the outfits.

“To put an end to that, the two forces have decided to work jointly in the interest of  peace,” he said.
He advised Jos residents to ignore text messages being circulated that six more villages would be attacked. “Anyone who receives such text message should forward it to the police for investigation,” Akano said.

The commissioner urged residents to embrace peace through dialogue so as to end the misunderstanding among them. “We must contribute to the peace and stop apportioning blames,” he said.

Akano called on journalists to “tell the world the truth about what is happening in Jos and avoid taking sides.”
“We must stop feeding the public with propaganda that would further divide the people. We must write positive stories that would bring lasting peace in Jos and its environs,” he said.