At least 14 people were reportedly killed while a four-year-old child was forcefully taken away by gunmen in three separate incidents in Riyom local government area, Jos, the Plateau State capital, yesterday.
In Kano, two officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were also killed by a terrorist gang.
Gwaram local government area in Jigawa State also got its own share of the evil men’s activities as they bombed a police station and a bank located in the area.
Riyom LGA had been crisis-ridden for a very long time -- it is the same LGA that the senator representing Plateau North, Gyang Dangtong, and former majority leader of the state House of Assembly, Gyang Fulani, met their death during a mass burial conducted for those killed by suspected Fulani gunmen.
Mark Lipdo, coordinator of Stefanus Foundation, a Jos-based non-governmental organisation, who confirmed the killings to LEADERSHIP in Jos yesterday, said three people were killed in Tahos village, eight people in Kwakuri village and three people were also killed in Lo-Ton village of Jol Ward.
According to him, the killings were carried out by gunmen suspected to be Fulani militias in the area. He added that a four-year-old child was still missing as his parents could not trace his whereabouts.
But the Plateau State police command also confirmed the killings to LEADERSHIP, saying six people were killed in two separate attacks in Riyom LGA..
According to the command public relations officer, DSP Abu Emmanuel, said at about 7pm, Monday evening, Dalyop Manchok and Gyang Manchok were shot dead in Tahos village by unknown gunmen.
He added that four other people were also killed -- a woman and three of her children in their house in Ganawuri district of Riyom LGA.
He said no arrest had been made, adding that the state commissioner of police, Mr. Emmanuel Dippo Ayeni, had deployed armed policemen to the affected area to prevent further breakdown of law and order and possible reprisal attacks.
The police spokesman called on youths to be calm as the command had commenced investigations into the matter.
Within 24 hours after the killing of two policemen on special assignment on polio Immunisation exercise in Kano, two officials of the FRSC were also killed by unknown gunmen. An eyewitness said two gunmen on a motorcycle accosted them and shot at them sporadically, killing two on the spot and wounding another officer.
The Wednesday killing of the FRSC men on patrol has generated anxiety among uniformed men in the ancient city.
FRSC sector commander in the state Mr. Zaki Alkali, who confirmed the incident, said the officials were four in the vehicle when the terrorists opened fire on them. He said, “Two officers died instantly, while another one sustained bullet wounds, but the fourth person survived the attack unhurt. It is a very sad incident.”
The state police commissioner, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, also confirmed the incident, saying a special squad had been deployed to comb the area in search of the terrorists.
Idris also said his men had also arrested eight suspects in connection with Tuesday’s killing of two policemen.
In Jigawa, suspected marauders were said to have attacked the bank and a nearby police station around 10:30pm. They shot sporadically from different directions before they threw bombs inside the bank and the police station. .
The police station was razed down by the blast while smoke was still bloating out from it, just as the building in which the bank was located was shattered. An eyewitnesses who spoke under the condition of anonymity said the attackers were well armed, overpowered the few policemen on duty and even confiscated their rifles.
When the policemen learned they couldn’t challenge the gunmen, he said, they all took to their heels..
Speaking to journalists at the scene of the incident, the state police commissioner, Mr. Kayode Theophilus, said a police report had confirmed that the suspected armed robbers had used explosive devices in attacking the bank and the police station. He said: “What has happened now is unprecedented in the history of Jigawa and it has also thrown a big security challenge. But with our hardworking men and support from the public, we would tackle the challenges and we would also get rid of those bad elements from Jigawa State.
“After receiving a distress call on the attack, we sent a reinforcement of security men who are now working round the clock to fish out the attackers.”
A staff member of the bank who spoke to newsmen on condition of anonymity revealed that the attackers did not succeed in stealing money from the bank as the rubble of building made it difficult for them to reach the safe where money was kept, but they took away the rifles of the policeman guarding the bank.
The state governor, Alhai Sule Lamido, who also visited the scene described the attack as an act of professional criminals who were out to get money and weapons for carrying out more atrocity
hmmm, God help us
ReplyDelete