On the Sara-Suka menace

It gives me a great pleasure to see the number of concerned youths talking about the menace of Sara-Suka around the city of Jos. This came as a result of the escalation of crisis caused by the group. I have also read about suggested solutions to the issue; including arrest to shooting them at sight. […]

It gives me a great pleasure to see the number of concerned youths talking about the menace of Sara-Suka around the city of Jos. This came as a result of the escalation of crisis caused by the group. I have also read about suggested solutions to the issue; including arrest to shooting them at sight. Well, they may be good suggestions, but what we need is a permanent solution to the problem. We must go back to the root causes of the problem; how did the Sara-Suka group come about. First and foremost, the Hausa communities in Jos are blessed with children and youths who are very energetic but are not channelling that energy in the right direction. Parents have a huge role to play in this matter as well because providing proper guidance will go a long way in keeping the youths in check.  

Then, there is the issue of drug abuse. The relevant agencies need to step up campaigns against the use of illicit drugs. Most of these gang members perpetrate evil when they are under the influence of hard drugs.  Efforts should be made to  check proliferation of these drugs. Furthermore, the police who are charged with the responsibility of prosecuting criminals must rise up to the occasion. Anyone caught causing trouble should be adequately dealt with to serve as deterrent to others.  

Members of various communities around the city of Jos should cooperate with security agencies by providing information. Finally, I urge the Plateau State government to work with community leaders on this issue. 

Abdul Mutallib Muktar wrote from Jos