Plateau Killings: We don’t take sides — STF boss

Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos

The Special Task Force (STF) mandated to restore peace on the Plateau, Southern Kaduna and some parts of Bauchi State, has said the public should not drag the task-force into unnecessary unverified claims, saying it does not take sides when resolving conflicts.

The task-force Commander Major General Anthony Atolagbe, stated this on Thursday while responding to the information making the rounds that the STF took side with the Fulani herdsmen that led to the death of 22 people in the recent crisis that engulfed Nkiedonwhro village of Irigwe Chiefdom in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.

He said, “We can’t take side, since I have been in this operation, we have started doing a lot of things: we have stakeholders meeting at the STF headquarters and at the Sectors level ,in order to promote peace and avoid crisis, there is a compulsory two times stakeholders meeting every week”.

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The STF boss gave reasons for the death of the 22 victims saying that his men at first repeled the assailants by engaging them I a gunfire and afterwards there was another shoot out few miles away from from where the victims were kept and his men advanced further to also repel the gunshots coming from the distance and unknowingly to them the assailants came behind and shot the 22.

The special task-force also known as Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), said the Command improves on every situation, hence it has deployed more battalion in every community in Bassa LGA.

“Since after the attack I have deployed Soldiers in groups and even introduced motorcycle squads called ‘Special Force’ who were trained outside this country to patrol the areas and prevent future attacks”, he said.

Atolagbe said no arrest has been made, but his command is working round the clock to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to book.

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On how the attack was carried out despite the dusk to dawn curfew, he explained that anybody that’s ready to die curfew would not deter him to do so, adding that even in the city people violate curfew talk more of an isolated area, where the attack was carried out.

Our correspondent reports that the rural communities in Bassa LGA have come under heavy attacks that claimed lives in the last three weeks.

Among villages hit were Ncha , Taegbe and Nkiedonwhro, where 26, six and 29 persons were confirmed killed.