A socio-cultural organisation, Berom Youth Moulders Association, has demanded the withdrawal of the Joint Military Task Force deployed to restore law and order in Plateau, Bauchi and Kaduna states because of their alleged complicity in recent killings in the area.
The members of the group were reacting to the killing of their kinsmen by unidentified gunmen at Rim Dyan community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The perpetrators were said to have ambushed their victims and opened fire on them while they were returning from a market.
President of BYMA, Choji Chuwang, blamed the military, saying it should be withdrawn and replaced by the police.
He said, “The BYMA condemns these barbaric acts in strong terms and calls on the Federal Government to effect the immediate withdrawal of the military personnel from the entire Riyom Local Government Area, considering the complexity of the three most recent attacks witnessed.
“We also call for the immediate deployment of the police to replace the suspected security personnel that demonstrated complicity and have obviously shown a high level of compromise in their statutory and public responsibility in guaranteeing protection, promotion, and enjoyment of human lives within Riyom LGA.
“We equally call on the government to conduct an inquest into the recent killings within the local government area as a matter of urgency so that the perpetrators are made to face the consequences of their actions. This will serve as a deterrent to anyone who has such tendency.”
The spokesperson for the Plateau State Police Command, Matthias Tyopev, put the number of casualties at 11, adding that the case was under investigation.
The spokesperson for the Joint Task Force, codenamed, ‘Operation Safe Haven,’ Captain Umar Adams, toldSaturday PUNCH that contrary to insinuations, soldiers were not involved in the recent killings.
He said, “It wasn’t soldiers that killed them. They were attacked by unknown gunmen. The assailants ambushed them on their way from a local market. Speculations that the perpetrators were uniformed men are lies. A criminal can go to any extent to disguise himself and conceal his identity.”
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