Friday, August 26, 2011

SIX MORE KILLED ON THE PLATEAU

SIX persons have been killed as Kwi and Jol villages of Riyom Local Government of Plateau State came under attack around 3 am yesterday, 21 August, 2011. With yesterday’s attack, the number of people killed in similar attacks in the last one week has risen to 20.

Disturbed by the spate of renewed killings in the state despite the peace efforts of government, Governor Jonah Jang has called for the withdrawal of soldiers from the state. Jang said, “The Nigerian Armed Forces were being unnecessary “over-dragged into politics.”

“The involvement of the military in the internal affairs of this country in the name of security is high and by implication we are over dragging the military into politics, they would be forced to eat “the forbidden fruit.”

Women and youths in the state have been calling for the withdrawal of soldiers following the alleged failure of soldiers to prevent attacks on innocent citizens.

Jang said, “I am convinced that the armed forces are being polluted with this religious crisis in the country. Before now, the military personnel used to stay in the barracks, but today the Armed Forces have started taking sides in religious crisis and if they are not called to order, it will be dangerous for the country."

Jang said owing to the situation in Jos, soldiers have abandoned their primary duty posts and instead, ‘’escort Fulani to the bush in search of cows.”

The Governor said, "There are deliberate attempts to discredit the state’s Security outfit, Operation Rainbow, by the military from taking off. The military is saying that the Operation Rainbow cannot cope with the security challenges so that instead of disengaging from the streets, they plan to continue. I used to be against the establishment of State Police, but with the current situation, there are many dynamics into state security which has made me canvass for the creation of one. It is not that Mr. President has wrongly used the state security apparatus”, but that, the call was “necessary considering the Plateau State example.”

(Culled from THE NATION, 22:08:2011)

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