Viral Plateau assault: Police move against female students

The Plateau State Police Command has arrested some female students following a viral video showing them allegedly assaulting another female student in Pankshin Local Government Area of the state. The command’s spokesperson, SP Alfred Alabo, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Friday in Jos, saying the arrest followed a directive from the Commissioner of Police, Ayodeji Faniyan. According to Alabo, the commissioner ordered the Area Commander in Pankshin to immediately investigate the incident and apprehend those involved after the video came to the attention of the command. The arrested students will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation before being charged to court, the police said. The command condemned the alleged assault and warned residents, particularly youths, against resorting to jungle justice or taking the law into their own hands. Alabo also raised concerns over the recording and circulation of violent incidents on social media, noting that such actions could expose those involved to additional criminal charges. He explained that committing an act of violence and recording it for publication could amount to separate offences under the law. “In the process of committing this crime, sometimes you will commit several other crimes,” Alabo said, adding that recording the act could attract cybercrime-related charges. The police spokesman urged residents who have grievances or are victims of wrongdoing to report their cases to the police or other appropriate authorities rather than seeking personal justice. “Stay clear of jungle justice. Report cases anytime you are aggrieved to the right and appropriate authority,” he said. He further appealed to members of the public to provide timely and credible information to security agencies to enable them to respond quickly and prevent conflicts from escalating. The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the girls involved in the incident are students of the Federal University of Education, Pankshin. The police said investigations into the incident are ongoing and reiterated that the suspects would be prosecuted after the conclusion of the investigation.