The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Barkin-Ladi

  • Fresh attack claims 29 in Plateau

    Fresh attack claims 29 in Plateau

    A fresh attack by unknown gunmen in Barkin Ladi Local Government area of Plateau State has claimed 29 lives, most of them Berom.

    The attack came four days after a similar one in Fan district of the same local government area.

    Thirteen women and children were killed in that incident.

    A total of 163 have been killed in similar circumstances in the state over the last two months.

    A vigilance group leader in the area, Julius Bala, said that 29 bodies were picked after the latest attack.

    Seventeen other residents were wounded, he said.

    The State Police Command said it established a joint security committee comprising community leaders, police, SSS, and the Special Task Force among others for the purpose of intelligence gathering aimed at checking the killings.

    Residents said that the gunmen came in large numbers at about 2.30am yesterday.

    Interim chairman of Barkin Ladi local government, Habila Dung, confirmed the attack but said he was not sure of the numbers of people killed.

    The Plateau State command of the Nigeria Police confirmed the attack but declined comment on the casualties.

    But a non- governmental organisation known as Stephanos Foundation working on peace building in the state said 29 people were killed during the attack in the two villages.

    The STF is yet to issue statement on the attack, they promised to do that after investigation.

  • PDP cancels primaries in Plateau LGA

    The Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday cancelled its local government primaries in Barkin Ladi Local government area of Plateau due to attacks in the area.

    The Sole Administrator of the local government, Mr. Habila Dung, announced the cancellation when he spoke with members of the party in Barkin-Ladi.

    Dung said he had a meeting with relevant stakeholders and reached a decision to cancel the primaries, adding that the party would select its candidates in the area by consensus.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the primaries were held in other local governments except in Wase and Jos North, where such exercise was earlier cancelled by the state government due to security challenge.

    The state Police Public Relations Officer, Felicia Ansalem, who confirmed the attack, gave the names of the affected communities as Rawuru, Tasu, Foron and Gurabok.

    She said many people died during the attacks while several others were injured.

    “We cannot give the exact number of the casualties yet as our men are collating the figures,’’ Ansalem said.

     

  • Police confirm multiple attacks in Plateau

    The police in Plateau on Tuesday confirmed that multiple attacks were carried out on four communities in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state on Monday.

    The report said many people were confirmed dead with several others injured in the attacks.

    The spokesperson of the command, Mrs. Felicia Anselem, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Jos that the attacks were carried at about 1am.

    “The attacks were carried out concurrently at four different locations at Rawuru, Tasu, Foron and Gurabok.

    “There are many people dead and several others injured, but we cannot give the exact number of the casualties yet because our men are collating the figures,’’ Anselem said.

    The spokesperson, however, said the casualty figure would be publicised after collation.

    The spokesperson of the Special Task Force (STF) in charge of security in Plateau, Capt. Salisu Mustapha, also confirmed the attack to NAN.

    Mustapha said the STF was still gathering the details of the incident and could not give the casualty figures.

    “I will give the details of the incident as soon as we have them,’’ he said.

    NAN reports that before the incidents, there were two other attacks in Barkin Ladi and Shendam local government areas in the last five days.

    The police had said five people were killed in those attacks.

     

  • Gunmen kill three farmers in Plateau

    Unidentified gunmen on Monday killed three persons on their farms at Kassa Village in the Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau.

    The Special Task Force maintaining peace in the troubled state, said in a statement in Jos that two of the suspected attackers were however, gunned down by STF troops who swiftly rushed to the scene.

    The statement, signed by the Media Officer of the STF, Capt. Salisu Mustapha, said the attackers invaded the farm at about 8:00am and opened fire on the farmers.

    “The STF quickly responded to the distress call from some of the fleeing victims but on sighting the troops, the gunmen opened fire on them.

    “This led to a gun duel that resulted to the killing of two of the suspected attackers.

    “STF personnel also arrested four of the gunmen who were injured in the process, while three AK 47 rifles and a locally made rifle were recovered from them.

    “Also recovered were 45 rounds of 7.62 (special) and 31 other cartridges,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the STF media officer as saying in the statement.

    The statement also disclosed that gunmen on Saturday attacked some cows while grazing at Kassa area of Ropp in the Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area.