Plateau Government Imposes Curfew over Killings, Police Arrest Suspects

•Death toll rises to 85 as lawmaker urges security to curb development

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos and Juliet Akoje in Abuja

The Plateau State government, yesterday, imposed a 24-hour curfew on Mangu Local Government Area of the state, following a recent crisis that resulted in killings, in order to prevent an escalation of the ensuing crisis.

At the same time, the Police said they had arrested five persons in connection with the recent killings, while the death toll has reportedly risen to 85.

But a member of the House of Representatives, Solomon Bulus Maren, has urged the president to order the security agencies to curb the killings in Mangu/Bokkos federal constituency area of Plateau state.

Chairman of the local government council, Minister Daput, confirmed that the curfew order was agreed on after consultations with security heads as a means of restoring law and order in the affected communities as well as avoiding the situation from getting out of hand considering the numbers of casualties involved in the attack.

He said the dust of the attacks on the two communities was yet to settle considering the large number of persons killed, adding that the injured were in critical condition in some hospitals, while a few others were still missing.

A community leader in the Fungzai village, Mr. Dan Mangu, who spoke to journalists, said, “We received a distress call that herders have invaded two villages of Kubwat and Fungzai and massacred many people and burnt down their villages.

“We are yet to ascertain the number of deaths. As I speak, I can see herders hastily moving their cows from the attacked villages towards Bauchi State. We are yet to ascertain the number of deaths, but reports have it that they have burnt down the entire village.”

Meanwhile, the state’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Alfred Alabo, who disclosed the news of the arrest in a statement in Jos, confirmed that two Hilux vans belonging to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC were overrun and vandalised by the attackers.

According to the statement, the  Commissioner of Police, Bartholomew Onyeka, in the wake of attacks in some villages and adjoining areas of Mangu LGA, made more reinforcement from several Plateau Police Command, MOPOL 8, CTU, NSCDC, and Operation Rainbow with the  Deputy Commissioner of Police in Charge of Operations, DCP Emmanuel Ado as the team leader.

He said Ado was assisted by the Area Commander Pankshin, ACP John Sendere and that troops from military Special Task Force (STF) were mobilised to the area, which led to the attackers beating a retreat.

“Two Hilux vans belonging to NSCDC were overrun and vandalised by the attackers, while five suspects have so far been arrested and are currently in the custody of the STF,” he said, noting that weapons recovered included AK-47 rifle, a revolver pistol, and cartridges.

“In the course of the struggle with the attackers, one Cpl. Abdullahi Umar 07NA attached to sector 8 STF sustained bullet injuries and is currently receiving treatment at the STF headquarters, Jos.

“Heavy security presence has been deployed to the area to forestall any further breakdown of law and order, and so far calm has been restored to the general area of Mangu Local Government, while monitoring continues,” he said.

The CP also assured the people of the state that the command under his watch would continue to do everything within its constitutional power to ensure the security of lives and properties of all the citizens of the state.

Meanwhile, the National President, Mwaghavul Development Association, Mr. Joseph Gwankat, has disclosed that  the death toll has risen to 80.

Speaking to journalists yesterday evening after a security meeting at the palace of the traditional ruler in Mangu, he added that the search for missing persons was still ongoing in the affected communities.

In another development, women protesting the death of their loved ones  besieged the palace of the traditional ruler, where meeting was convened with security chiefs, district heads and government officials led by the Deputy Governor, Professor Sonni Tyoden to address the security challenge in the LGA.

The Mishkcham Mwaghavul, John Putmang Hirse, alongside the local government chairman and district heads from the communities appealed for the deployment of more security agents to the communities to safeguard citizens.

At the moment,  57 victims of  one of the attacked communities were given a mass burial amidst tears by relatives and members of the community, who gathered to witness the funeral service.

In a related development, a member of the House of Representatives, Solomon Bulus Maren, who urged Buhari to order security agencies to curb killings in Mangu/Bokkos federal constituency, called for support across boards and condemned the attack in its entirety.

In a statement, he said, “No one should take the law into their hands. I commiserate with the government and people of Plateau State, the Miskhakam Mwagavul, the governor-elect of Plateau state and indeed the Chairman of Mangu LGA on the attack and pray for the repose of the souls of those killed.

“I find it expedient at this time to intimate the world on the unfortunate happenings in my constituency Mangu/Bokkos federal constituency Plateau state, in the last two days, where over 100 persons, most of them women and children have been massacred and butchered in cold blood by terrorist during an overnight unprovoked attack at their houses burnt down including food stuffs, food barns and seedlings.

“The responsibilities lies in the president to first condemn the dastard act, which we expect him to do so and immediately go ahead to protect lives and properties, which is the primary responsibility of the government.”