On April 22, 2010, THISDAY reported as follows, "The military Special Task Force (STF) in Jos has described as horrible, barbaric, unfortunate and condemnable, the killing of innocent travelers in Tahoss village, Riyom Local Government Area, along Abuja/Jos highway by suspected hoodlums, after all its effort to restore peace in the area. It has also condemned the incessant attack on some military men, warning the youths not to take the military’s restrain for granted.
"Addressing the press in Jos, the Operation Commander of the STF, Colonel Kayode Ogundele, said while investigations are still on to unravel the perpetrators of the barbaric act, four persons are already in their net in connection with the killings. He said “on Monday four corpses were discovered in a village near Rim, the bodies were partially burnt, and the locals were agitated. More troops were deployed to the area to trace the assailants. And in the early hours of Tuesday morning, the reinforcement decided to comb the entire area of the village. While they were on this, some irate mobs occupied the Abuja/Jos highway to unleash terror on commuters, and in the process seven people were killed and buried in three shallow graves: four corpses were found in one shallow grave, two in another shallow grave, another corpse which they were about burying when we got there”.
The above-quoted report says that four corpses were discovered near Rim partially burnt. We now know that the Fulanis kill and burn their victims. Why burn corpses is hard to understand. A COCIN pastor and his wife were murdered and burnt in Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi State, last week by suspected Fulanis on a revenge mission. Most of the slaughtered women and children at Dogo Nahawa on January 17, were also burnt. (See the pictures if you care)
What angered the youths in Tahoss, if I may ask? Did they just wake up that morning and decided for to start killing innocent people along the Jos/Abuja highway without provocation? Of course, not. Some assailants killed four of their brothers overnight and the JTF operatives were nowhere to be found. The Rim/Tahoss axis is now so vulnerable to Fulani attacks that the villagers have lost all confidence in the JTF. It is actually suspected that JTF men could be responsible for some of the killings while the innocent Beroms observe Jang's curfew hours.
Consider the following: Unknown assassins attacked the residences of Timothy Pwajok, his brother, Markus Pwajok, a former Commissioner and the father of the Jos South LG Chairman, Da Dalyop Zi at Kuru Karama at 1:30am two Sundays ago. While the attack was going on, 5 JTF operatives, made of 4 Muslims and 1 Christian, were just 100 meters away and did nothing to stop the attackers till they fled into the bushes. Also, the only Christian JTF personnel had lost his riffle by the time time the attack ended. The rumour is that the JTF personnel disarmed their Christian colleague as he wanted to shoot at the attackers.
in another incident last Sunday, the JTF personnel claimed they were alerted by Muslims in Bisichi in the dead of the night that there were suspected attackers in the nearby bushes. The JTF personnel killed two Berom men only to discover that they were security men at a their duty post. Beroms in Bisichi were enraged but controlled themselves.
Again, about a week ago, a 19 year old Muslim youth. Abdullssamad Mohammad detonated what was most likely a German made grenade in his hands and had both arms from the wrists blown off. While he was receiving treatment at the Plateau Specialist Hospital, JTF personnel arrived the hospital with a letter addressed to the hospital authorities permitting them to convey the houng victim to Abuja for further treatment. Of course, the Medical Director objected in writing saying the boy's condition was too unstable for such a long journey.
Who is doing the killings in Jos now? who is trying to suppress facts now? Who is angering the Beroms now? Are the Beroms really being protected by the JTF anymore? No wonder, they have asked for the withdrawal of the JTF and the removal of the curfew imposed by Jang so that they can better protect themselves on their own. Newspapers must learn to report objectively and not just carry whatever Government officials dish out.
We understand that the Fulani women and children have now been safely cordoned off near Military barracks and are protected with armored tanks while their men attack Beroms nightly from different fronts with the tacit connivance of the Nigerian military.
It is obvious that a solution to the Jos crisis is still far away in view of recent happenings and the taking of sides by some military personnel.
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