ONE soldier was shot dead while another sustained injury in an attack by unknown gunmen in Ngar village, Barkin Ladi, Plateau State.
The soldiers, both personnel of the Special Task Force (STF), were on a patrol when the incident occurred. The wounded soldier is receiving treatment in a hospital in Jos, the state capital.
Two farmers also lost their lives when they were ambushed by suspected Fulani herdsmen between Yiplack and Bululu vilages. The Chairman of Kanam Local Government Area, Ado Yusuf, confirmed the death of the farmers, adding that security operatives have already been deployed to the scene to prevent further attacks.
“Two Tarok people were killed. The identity of the killers is yet to be known. The police are on the trail of the miscreants,” he said, urging people of the area to stop taking the law into their hands and live in peace with one another.
The village head of Yiplack, Mr. Loh Nimfa, said the attackers ambushed the victims in the forest and cut off their heads. He called on the state government to curb the activities of mercenaries and put an end to the secret killings of innocent citizens in Kanam Local Government.
Nimfa appealed to Governor Simon Lalong to put security measures in place to prevent breakdown of law and order in the state, adding: “We have been living peacefully in Kanam but some people do not wish us well, so they decided to embark on this dastardly act, in order to cause confusion and hatred among us.
” Over 17 villages of Gashish District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area have been sacked by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.
According to a community leader, Mr. Ezekiel Mandyau, over 160 persons have been killed in the past two years, while more than 100 others sustained injuries as a result of attacks by gunmen.
According to him, many of the reported stories about cattle rustlers are carried out by the Fulani themselves. “The Fulani steal one another’s cattle, making it look like the natives did it,” he said.
In another development, security chiefs in Plateau State have stressed the importance of collective vigilance and information gathering during a sensitisation meeting in Jos.
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They noted that one of the campaign promises of President Muhammadu Buhari is to crush Boko Haram, and that he had directed all security agencies to hold meetings at state levels.
Speaking during the occasion, the Commander of the Special Task Force (STF), Major General David Enetie, who chaired the meeting, said besides the President’s directive, there was a security threat targeted at some parts of Jos and its environs.
He condemned recent violence in some local governments in the state and called on people to put in place measures to prevent attacks.
“The alert might not be where we are told. It might be directional. So, that emphasises the need for all of us to work together as a team.
There is nothing to panic or be afraid of. But we have to change strategies, this time, to get to a wider coverage,” Enetie said.
The state Commissioner of Police, Nasiru Disu Oki, urged traders, tricycle and vehicle owners to stop congesting markets and parks, and report strange people and objects to security agents.
Other security personnel at the meeting sought collaboration from all stakeholders, adding that issues of conflict among communities should not be allowed to escalate before security officials are briefed.
