THE Special Task Force (STF) Friday came with a statement that suspected Fulani gunmen stormed the villages of Langtang South Local Council Area of Plateau State on Thursday, June 27, killing about 28 persons. The attacked villages, according to the statement, are Magama, Bongong and Karkashi.
The STF statement, which was signed by its spokesman, Captain Salisu Ibrahim Mustapha, however, added that the STF personnel, who went to the scene to bring the situation under control, were engaged by the gunmen in a gun duel that lasted several hours. But he revealed that they succeeded in killing 20 of the assailants, bringing the total number of casualties to 48, noting that some of those who sustained gunshot wounds were arrested.
The Guardian investigations revealed that residents of villages are already deserting their communities in droves, following fears that more attacks are underway in the villages.
Chairman of Langtang Local Council, Mr. Naanman Darko, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos on Friday.
The STF statement reads in part: “This is to inform the general public and good people of Plateau State that on 27 June 2013, at about 1:00am, suspected Fulani gunmen stormed and attacked Magama, Bongong and Karkashi villages of Langtang South Local Government Area killing about 28 persons. STF personnel went to the scene to bring the situation under control but the gunmen engaged them in gun duel that lasted several hours.
“In the process, about 20 of the assailants were killed while some who sustained gunshot wounds were arrested; some motorcycles, weapons and ammunition also recovered. Consequently, the attackers withdrew towards Yamini, Yelwa Shendam and Agikamai villages of Shendam Local Government Area. However, some suspected Taroh youths set ablaze some settlements around Yamini and Agikamai while own personnel were in pursuit of the assailants towards Yelwa Shendam.”
The statement continued: “The situation was, however, brought under control by men of the STF and the area secured as more troops have been deployed in the area. STF personnel are in the area conducting robust patrol to ensure no further attack on innocent people. All law-abiding citizens are enjoined to go about their normal activities.
“The STF wishes to use this medium to restate that any individual or group of persons who are bent in fomenting trouble with the sole aim of truncating the peace of the state have made themselves enemies of peace and would be treated as such. The STF would leave no stone unturned in fishing out the perpetrators of this dastardly act.”
The Langtang Local Council Chairman told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) “there are fears of more attacks after what took place yesterday, so the villagers are already running helter-skelter to practically everywhere they think is safe.”
The NAN reported that also fleeing their community are residents of Takbol, a village on the borders of the three affected communities.
The assailants were said to be aggrieved over the theft of their cattle.
Darko, who told NAN that 32 people had been killed, said that some of the victims included students writing the NECO examinations.
“It is the farming season and people should be busy. Students are also writing examinations but all of that has been halted. People have abandoned their villages, farms and other property in search of safety. It is a bad situation that could have more devastating effects. There is the fear of hunger in the very near future.
“Early this morning, I called the Police Commissioner, Mr. Chris Olakpe, who has promised to send more mobile policemen to help men of the STF,” he said.
culled from guardiannews
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