12 killed in Plateau midnight attack

By John Ameh with agency report

Wednesday, 23 Feb 2011


Twelve persons were feared killed and several others injured in a fresh attack by unknown assailants on Rwang Fang village in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State in the early hours of Tuesday.


Among those killed were a driver, his wife and their four children.


The Military Special Task Force spokesman, Capt. Charles Ekeocha, who confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria, blamed the villagers for not contacting the force on time.


He said, “The attack was carried out around midnight, but the villagers did not inform us until the attackers had fled.


“A military helicopter has been deployed there for aerial surveillance, because some cattles were also rustled during the attack,” he said.


Ekeocha said more troops had been deployed to beef up security in the area, and that men of the force were on the trail of the assailants.


He said relevant information about the victims would be released later, and promised that the military was on top of the situation.


In a related development, 60 persons have been arrested by the Military Special Task Force in several parts of Jos. STF media Officer, Captain Charles Ekeocha, told newsmen that the hoodlums were arrested based on intelligence report provided by the intelligent unit of the STF.


Ekeocha said that the hoodlums would be interviewed and those found innocent would be released while those with questionable character would be kept to assist the STF in its investigations.


Meanwhile, an attempt by the House of Representatives to investigate plans by the Plateau State Government to set up a security outfit failed on Tuesday.


The outfit, code-named “Operation Rainbow,” is to complement the efforts of law enforcement agencies in maintaining peace and security in the volatile state.


A motion by a member from Bauchi State, Mr. Abdul Ningi, seeking to stop the government’s proposal, failed in a majority voice vote.


Ningi, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Police Affairs, quoted Governor Jonah Jang as saying that he got the approval of the Presidency to set up the security outfit.


He, however, told the House that he had some reservations about the intention of the Presidency and the Plateau State Government.


“My fear is that I don’t know what this ‘operation rainbow’ is about.


“What is going to be their mode of operation? How is it funded? What is the aim? We have to be told,” Ningi argued.


Besides, he held the view that the National Assembly should be involved in setting up the outfit.


Ningi urged the House to mandate its relevant committees to summon “the National Security Adviser and the Director-General of the SSS” to brief the House on why the Plateau State Government proposed such an outfit.


But, a member from Plateau State, Mr. Bitrus Kaze, opposed the motion, describing it as unnecessary.


He said that the government took the measure to improve security in the state and maintain peace in view of the recurring sectarian violence in the area.


The development came as lawmakers berated the Federal Government for allegedly treating security issues in the country with levity.


At a 2011 budget defence session with the Committee on Police Affairs on Tuesday, lawmakers discovered that the capital component of the 2010 police budget was poorly funded.


The committee learnt that only 29.8 per cent of the capital vote of around N15bn was funded by the Federal Government.


Lawmakers said that they could not understand how the government, which listed security on its priority list, could starve the police of funds.

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