Seventeen Killed in Fresh Plateau Violence

Mercenaries, who on Monday threatened to invade Jos, Plateau State capital, struck in the early hours of Tuesday in Bere village of Barkin Ladi Local Government of Plateau North Senatorial District.

Sixteen villagers fell in an attack which eyewitnesses told Daily Independent involved over 200 mercenaries suspected to be hired.

It was wailing and shedding of tears at the Local Government headquarters in Kwol on Tuesday morning, as the council chairman, councillors and supporting staff, were seen rushing survivors to different hospitals in the area for emergency treatment,

The victims sustained gun shot wounds as a result of the attack by the night marauders.

Those who were in critical condition, according to Daily Independent findings, were brought to Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for treatment.

Council Chairman, Dr. Fom Dakwak, in a press statement, stated that "Bere in Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government area, a border village with Mangu LGA, was attacked at 1.a.m today (Tuesday).

"Sixteen people were killed and many others were injured. One of the killers, who is a Fulani man, was also gunned down'".

Following the development, crack security teams of soldiers from the Joint Security Task Force (JTF) and Police were deployed to strategic locations within Jos, on the orders of the JTF Chairman, Brigadier General Hassan Umaru, and the Plateau State Commissioner of Police (CP), Abdulraman Akaino.

When Daily Independent went round Jos on Tuesday afternoon, business activities were going on smoothly, although the atmosphere was tense.

Heavily armed Army personnel and anti-riot Mobile policemen were seen manning the city centre and keeping eyes on those plying the streets.

When contacted, Commissioner for Information, Gregory Nyelong, could not be reached. He was said to be in a meeting at Governor Jonah Jang's Du country home in Jos South Local Government Area.

Daily Independent further gathered that the Permanent Secretary (Security) in the state's Cabinet Office, was immediately summoned by Jang to the scene of the incident who furnished him with details of the attack.

It would be recalled that Jang had recently announced that his government had secured Presidency approval to set up a new security outfit, Operation Rainbow, to take care of the reoccurring skirmishes in local communities in the state.

Violence in the state had lingered since 2001 when the first Jos ethno-religious crisis broke out.

Daily Independent

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