Security agencies have been urged to arrest Umar Auwal Bakwankwashe after he posted messages celebrating the killing of seven people in Kwi community, Riyom LGA, Plateau State.
The call was made by Concerned Plateau Youths (COY) following an attack on Kwi by heavily armed assailants on Saturday night, which residents say left seven dead, several injured and properties destroyed. Locals told reporters that more than 50 gunmen, described by witnesses as carrying sophisticated weapons, overpowered the local vigilante group and began shooting around 10:30pm, forcing many villagers to flee into nearby bushes and rocks for safety.
“Immediately the youths escaped, the gunmen began shooting sporadically, throwing the people into utter confusion,” one resident said, adding that frantic calls to security operatives produced no response.
While the community was still mourning, Bakwankwashe — according to screenshots circulating online — shared a headline about the attack on his Facebook page and wrote: “I no tell una? Gradually we go finish you.” The post quickly went viral and attracted thousands of reactions and comments.
In a petition to security agencies, the Plateau State and federal governments, COY described the post as evidence that some individuals are openly supporting the attacks. The group demanded Bakwankwashe’s immediate arrest and prosecution and urged the Nigerian Police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Army to bring him in for questioning, saying he “appears to know a lot about the attacks on innocent villagers.”
“We are calling on the federal government of Nigeria and the Plateau State government to arrest this young man named Umar Auwal Bakwankwashe for his comments on a post saying Muslims will finish and keep killing Christians in Plateau State,” the petition reads in part.
The youths warned that the celebratory post risks inflaming religious tensions in an already volatile area and insisted security agencies must act swiftly to investigate both the massacre and the social-media posts endorsing it.
Authorities have not yet confirmed any arrests related to the Facebook post or given an official update on the probe into the Kwi attack.