60 repentant Sara-Suka members undergo rehabilitation in Plateau

About 60 repentant members of the Sara-Suka gang;’ a group of hoodlums causing mayhem in parts of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State are presently undergoing rehabilitation at the citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, Mountain School, Shere Hills in Jos.

The youths are part of the 500 said to have denounced their membership of the gang, according to Operation Safe Haven Commander, Major General Augustine Agundu, while inaugurating the programme on Wednesday.

Daily Trust reports that members of the gang are predominantly found in

Jos-North and their violent activities involve stabbing rival members or innocent members of the society, mostly during festive periods.

General Agundu, yesterday said the youths are expected to undergo training in community leadership, skills acquisition, empowerment and security awareness adding that; “Governor Simon Bako Lalong had bought into the idea of rehabilitating those who have held our communities hostage in the past.”

He said funds for the programme which is organised by OPSH in collaboration with the Civil Military Relief Initiative were solely provided by the state government stressing that, “this is a debt and you are expected to pay back by turning a new leaf and following the part of civility, law and order.”

The Commander also said at the end of the leadership training, the youths will undergo security awareness lectures facilitated by representatives from security agencies like the Nigerian Police Command, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) after which they will also undergo a skills acquisition programme.

Earlier, the Commissioner of Information and Communication, Dan Manjang, said the state government will continue to collaborate with Operation Safe Haven to ensure that idle youths are taken off the streets and given new meaning to live.