Suspected Fulani herdsmen have killed two policemen attached to the Special Task Force in Jos

Suspected Fulani herdsmen have killed two anti-riot policemen attached to the Special Task Force, STF, at Palang in Bachit District of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

They were reportedly gunned down on Sunday while at their duty post. The same assailants allegedly shot and injured three people at Tahoss in the same area that night.

A police source identified the slain policemen as Corporals Safiyanu Suleiman and Thomas Kozah. The gun men were said to have caught them unawares, opening fire on them before escaping from the area.

Attacks on villages in the local government area has become a regular occurrence resulting in several loss of lives. Most of the attacks had been blamed on suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Spokesman of the Plateau Police Command, Assistant Superintendent Samuel Dabai confirmed the killing of the two police men, adding that investigations were on-going.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up at the Police Staff College, Jos following Monday attack on the college by suspected Boko Haram members which left two policemen injured.

The attackers were said to have struck at about 10.pm opening fire on the two policemen who were on guard duty at the gate. A resident said the exchange of gunshots continued for about 30 minutes before the attackers said to number about 20 left.

They were said to have positioned themselves at different points, first targeting the security lights before attempting to shoot their way into the premises. However, the support from other policemen from the college who engaged them frustrated their effort to gain entry.

A visit to the college on yesterdayday showed that vehicles were no longer allowed to park anywhere near the college while vehicles going in and out were subjected to thorough check.

The Boko Haram sect had for some time now been sending threat messages to attack churches, police formations and other places in Jos..

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Following President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive to the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petirin to take over the security of Jos and stop the sectarian killings, Vanguard gathered yesterday that the Nigerian Airforce has already put on standby, a C-130 aircraft for the airlifting of troops from two Army Brigades, one from the South West and another from the North Central to complement soldiers on ground for the operation. 

The General Officer Commanding ‘3’ Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Adamu Marwa, who only resumed duty last week has been summoned to Abuja for briefings concerning strategies to be employed towards implementing the presidential directive. Also, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Onyeabor Azubuike Ihejirika as well as the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar whose personnel and equipment would form the bulk of the deployments were said to be in marathon meetings for the better part of yesterday with their Principal Staff Officers, discussing operational implications of the President’s order. Vanguard gathered that following the meetings, the Army High Command has directed the deployment of some armoured vehicles used for reconnaissance activities, advanced communications and night vision equipment as well as light combat attack vehicles to Jos for the operation. 

Already, the Air Officer Commanding Tactical Command of the Nigerian Air Force, Markudi, Air Vice Marshal Odesola was said to have deployed some of the air surveillance aircraft in the command for surveillance activities to cover the long expanse of land and valleys where most of the attackers on both sides of the divide pass through to perpetrate havoc. Meanwhile, indications have emerged that following investigations by bomb experts in the armed forces, most of the bombs used by the Boko Haram group and others for their attacks including that of Jos, are being manufactured or assembled locally. This development came just as it was gathered that following this discovery, security agents are now combing parts of the country for those persons either trained by the military or the police but who would have retired from service, with the capability of assembling or building explosives. 

While not ruling out that foreign technical assistance may have been obtained in the assemblage of some of the explosives used in some of the Boko Haram attacks like that of Force headquarters, a source told Vanguard that evidence collated on the UN house bombing, so far point to the fact that some locally made devices were put together to manufacture the explosives. The source noted however that, “we are closing up on them as we have been able to unmask their modus operandi and their bases, and very soon Nigerians will hear the details of what has been happening”. While refusing to give names of those suspected to be behind this group of people, the source said that “the planners of the attacks are very wealthy as the suicide attacks are capital intensive. Those who plan it buy brand new cars and settle the family of those to go on the suicide mission financially. 

So it is not something anybody can just dabble into without substantial reward”. Giving an insight to the modus operandi of the group, the source said, “after any successful attack, they will study the security situation put in place and re-strategize. When they observe that tension is dying down and security arrangements have relaxed, they strike again. This intelligence is now available to the security agencies. Residents hail Jonathan’s directive Residents of Plateau State yesterday welcomed the directive by President Goodluck Jonathan that the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Oluseyi Petirin should take over the security of the state expressing hope that he would make a difference. A cross section of residents who spoke yesterday said since previous measures such as the setting up of the Special Task Force (STF) have not solved the problem, they hoped he would come up with new strategies to solve the recurring crisis in the state. 

 A civil servant, Maiyaki Ishaku said the deployment of the CDS was an indication that the Federal Government was now taking the problem of Jos seriously. “We do not know what the CDS will do to make a difference, but for the president to ask such a high-ranking officer to oversee the security of the state is an indication that the problem, for once, is being accorded serious attention. We can only hope and pray that his coming will bring the desired peace”, he said. Acting President of Civil Society Coalition in the state, Dr. Tor Iorapuu also supported a change of strategy in tackling the security challenges as well as a review of the security arrangement. Speaking on behalf of the coalition at a press briefing yesterday he said “the security saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and property should be overhauled so as to weed out bad eggs that have brought disrepute to the task force.

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Explosions rock Jos, many feared dead

There were two explosions Sunday night at a drinking joint in Jos, Plateau State, resulting in a yet-to- be-ascertained number of deaths. The explosions occurred at 8.15 p.m. at the West of Mines junction where fun- seekers had gathered to relax. 

 A resident of the area said they heard two explosions within five minutes interval throwing the whole area into pandemonium. People scampered from the area for fear of another explosion. Vehicles were said to have ran into each other as the drivers were trying to flee from the area.

 Securitymen and personnel of Police Anti-Bomb Unit rushed to the scene shortly after the explosions and cordoned off the area. The blast is coming in the wake of serial killings that have claimed several lives in the state within the past one week.

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12 killed in Jos again

It was another day of wailing and mourning in Plateau State yesterday as 12 people were again killed in separate attacks on two villages in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.

Nine people including a man, his wife and seven children were killed at Kakpwis Foron while three people were killed at Kunzin by heavily armed gunmen said to have numbered up to 30 and who attacked the villages almost simultaneously.

The vigilante groups in the two villages were according to eyewitnesses overwhelmed by the superior fire power of the assailants who stormed the villages at about midnight, shot at their victims and used knives to cut them to ensure that none of them survived.

The gunmen suspected to be Fulani, all dressed in black, were also said to have destroyed farmlands belonging to the villagers as they took their exit.

An eyewitness who is a member of the neighborhood watch, Bitrus Manchang told journalists that they noticed the arrival of the assailants at about 12 midnight and promptly notified other villagers but they were over powered by the sophisticated weapons of the attackers.

The traditional head of Kakpwis, Da Ahmadu Dung confirmed that he was alerted of the attack but pointed out that members of the neighbourhood watch could do little because the assailants were well armed with dangerous weapons.

Chairman of Barkin Ladi Locql Government Area, Mr. Emmanuel Loman lamented the continuous attack on his people describing what is happening as genocide and ethnic cleansing.

He expressed worry that his people might begin to take the law into their hands since all appeals to the Federal Government to do something about the situation have not yielded result stressing that the people have been pushed to the wall.

According to them, “it has come to our knowledge that certain misguided elements are hell-bent on destabilizing democratic structures on the Plateau in the name of emergency rule. We condemn in the strongest terms possible and totally reject their obnoxious calls for the declaration of another emergency rule in Plateau State.

“it is highly suspicious why they single out Plateau State for persecution notwithstanding the precarious security situation in many parts of the country including post election violence and bombings.”

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