Many persons were on Monday reportedly injured with houses and shops burnt after a disagreement between traditional worshippers and Muslim youth in the Shimankar (Menkaat) community of Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State.

New Telegraph gathered that the violence started on Sunday night and continued till Monday morning.

Residents including women and children were seen fleeing the scene of the incident for their lives, while business owners hurriedly closed down their shops.

Efforts to contact the Chief of Shimankar Long Menkaat Manu for his reaction to the violence in his domain could not yield any fruitful results as his mobile phone was switched off.

Also as of the time of filing this report, DSP Alabo Alfred, spokesperson of the state police command was yet to respond to inquiries about the incident.

However the Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District Simon Bako Lalong has condemned the violence in Shimankar (Menkaat), Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Lalong in a Press Statement he signed and issued to Journalists in Jos described the reported clashes within his Constituency between some groups within the community as unfortunate, calling for restraint and calm as dialogue remains the best way to address differences.

The Senator commended law enforcement agencies and members of the traditional institution for their prompt response in calming nerves which prevented the situation from degenerating, urging them to sustain vigilance to ensure that normalcy prevails.

He called on security agencies to carry out a thorough investigation to identify the cause of the violence as well as ensure that those responsible for breach of public peace be held accountable.

Meanwhile, Lalong has also commended community leaders for their intervention in restoring order, urging them to give every necessary support to the security agencies to de-escalate the situation.

Lalong emphasized that what dialogue cannot solve, violence and destruction cannot resolve.