The Federal Government has ordered the
deployment of soldiers in Nassarawa
State to prevent further breakdown of
law and order in the state.
The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.
Ibrahim Attahiru, said during a press
conference in Abuja on Wednesday, that
the soldiers were a little less than a
battalion.
A battalion in the Nigerian Army ranges
from 750 to 1000 soldiers.
Attahiru said that the mandate of the
troops was to support civil authorities in
their efforts to curb the violence.
He stated that soldiers had prevented
the crisis between Eggon and Alago
youths in Obi Local Government Area
from spreading to other parts of the state.
According to him, the federal and
Nasarawa State governments were also
seeking other ways of resolving the crisis
without delay.
He said, “Due to the heightened security
situation in Nasarawa State, the Federal
Government has ordered the deployment
of troops as an aid to civil authority in
order to prevent further escalation of the
violence and its spread to other parts of
the state.
“It is gratifying to note that the
deployment of troops in the violence-
prone area has helped in curbing the
spread of violence by the Ombatse and
other ethnic groups in Nasarawa State.
“The Federal Government and Nasarawa
State Government are exploiting ways of
ensuring the quick return to normalcy.”
About 30 persons were feared killed in a
communal clash between Eggon and
Alago youths on Saturday. Some
communities were also razed down and
several people rendered homeless.
The crisis led to the evacuation of
corps members from the crisis-hit
communities to the state capital, Lafia.
The State Director of the National Youth
Service Corps in the state, Mrs. Bolanle
Olabanji, had said that 121 out of the
6,335 corps members who were serving in
Obi, Dedere, Tudun-Adabu, Barkin-Kogi,
Asakio and other towns were affected by
the crisis.
Prior to the latest crisis, 63 policemen
and 10 personnel of the State Security
Department were killed at Alakyo in
Nassarawa Eggon Local Government Area
of the state.
The security personnel were on a mission
to arrest the leader of the dreaded
Ombatse cult, Ala Agu, when they were
ambushed and killed on May 7, 2013.
There were reports that two police
corporals from the area who were part of
the mission leaked information on the
mission to the members of the cult who
killed them.
Attahiru, who also commented on the
ongoing campaign against the Boko
Haram insurgents, said some insurgents
who were dislodged from their camp at
the Kasiya Forest, Ngazai Local
Government Area, attacked Benisheik, a
town in Kaga Local Government Area of
the state, killing ‘a lot of civilians.’
He added that troops in the Forward
Operation Base killed a top Boko Haram
Commander, who is a high-value target,
named, Abba Goroma.
The Army spokesman said that a $10
million bounty was earlier set aside for
his capture.
Attahiru said as part of the efforts, the
troops in the formation had conducted
operation to pre-empt, dislodge and
disrupt the insurgent’s activities in the
North-East.
According to him, in the process,
insurgents’ camps located at Kitumari,
Alkaderi, Kurunmati, Abali, Gajiram and
Iza within the Sambisa Forest in Borno
were destroyed.
He said, “Other areas where insurgents’
camps were attacked, include Bubalin and
Ngaram within Maiduguri Metropolis as
well as Gulimba Area of Gwoza.
“The division continues to dominate the
area through aggressive mobile patrols of
highways and major urban centres as part
of confidence-building measures to
facilitate the quick return to normalcy.
“All these efforts are aimed at denying the
terrorists the freedom of action. By and
large, military operation within the
division’s area of responsibility has been
largely successful.’’
On the soldiers being court-martialled in
Jos, Plateau State, he said the nine
soldiers were still being tried.
The director, however, appealed to
journalists to clarify all reports from the
Directorate of Army Public Relations
before going to the press.
He said anything contrary to such
clarifications from the directorate would
be tantamount to giving “oxygen to
terrorism and creating undue fear
amongst Nigerians.”
deployment of soldiers in Nassarawa
State to prevent further breakdown of
law and order in the state.
The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.
Ibrahim Attahiru, said during a press
conference in Abuja on Wednesday, that
the soldiers were a little less than a
battalion.
A battalion in the Nigerian Army ranges
from 750 to 1000 soldiers.
Attahiru said that the mandate of the
troops was to support civil authorities in
their efforts to curb the violence.
He stated that soldiers had prevented
the crisis between Eggon and Alago
youths in Obi Local Government Area
from spreading to other parts of the state.
According to him, the federal and
Nasarawa State governments were also
seeking other ways of resolving the crisis
without delay.
He said, “Due to the heightened security
situation in Nasarawa State, the Federal
Government has ordered the deployment
of troops as an aid to civil authority in
order to prevent further escalation of the
violence and its spread to other parts of
the state.
“It is gratifying to note that the
deployment of troops in the violence-
prone area has helped in curbing the
spread of violence by the Ombatse and
other ethnic groups in Nasarawa State.
“The Federal Government and Nasarawa
State Government are exploiting ways of
ensuring the quick return to normalcy.”
About 30 persons were feared killed in a
communal clash between Eggon and
Alago youths on Saturday. Some
communities were also razed down and
several people rendered homeless.
The crisis led to the evacuation of
corps members from the crisis-hit
communities to the state capital, Lafia.
The State Director of the National Youth
Service Corps in the state, Mrs. Bolanle
Olabanji, had said that 121 out of the
6,335 corps members who were serving in
Obi, Dedere, Tudun-Adabu, Barkin-Kogi,
Asakio and other towns were affected by
the crisis.
Prior to the latest crisis, 63 policemen
and 10 personnel of the State Security
Department were killed at Alakyo in
Nassarawa Eggon Local Government Area
of the state.
The security personnel were on a mission
to arrest the leader of the dreaded
Ombatse cult, Ala Agu, when they were
ambushed and killed on May 7, 2013.
There were reports that two police
corporals from the area who were part of
the mission leaked information on the
mission to the members of the cult who
killed them.
Attahiru, who also commented on the
ongoing campaign against the Boko
Haram insurgents, said some insurgents
who were dislodged from their camp at
the Kasiya Forest, Ngazai Local
Government Area, attacked Benisheik, a
town in Kaga Local Government Area of
the state, killing ‘a lot of civilians.’
He added that troops in the Forward
Operation Base killed a top Boko Haram
Commander, who is a high-value target,
named, Abba Goroma.
The Army spokesman said that a $10
million bounty was earlier set aside for
his capture.
Attahiru said as part of the efforts, the
troops in the formation had conducted
operation to pre-empt, dislodge and
disrupt the insurgent’s activities in the
North-East.
According to him, in the process,
insurgents’ camps located at Kitumari,
Alkaderi, Kurunmati, Abali, Gajiram and
Iza within the Sambisa Forest in Borno
were destroyed.
He said, “Other areas where insurgents’
camps were attacked, include Bubalin and
Ngaram within Maiduguri Metropolis as
well as Gulimba Area of Gwoza.
“The division continues to dominate the
area through aggressive mobile patrols of
highways and major urban centres as part
of confidence-building measures to
facilitate the quick return to normalcy.
“All these efforts are aimed at denying the
terrorists the freedom of action. By and
large, military operation within the
division’s area of responsibility has been
largely successful.’’
On the soldiers being court-martialled in
Jos, Plateau State, he said the nine
soldiers were still being tried.
The director, however, appealed to
journalists to clarify all reports from the
Directorate of Army Public Relations
before going to the press.
He said anything contrary to such
clarifications from the directorate would
be tantamount to giving “oxygen to
terrorism and creating undue fear
amongst Nigerians.”
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