Eight Suspects Arrested  Over Plateau Killing

Jos, Plateau State– Operatives of the Plateau State Police Command have arrested eight suspects in connection with the killings of over 200 people on Christmas Eve in the Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi local government areas of the state.

It would be recalled that gunmen suspected to be herdsmen attacked 12 communities in the council areas and simultaneously killed people at random, leaving many others with injuries, while several houses and properties were burnt.

The spokesman for the state police command, Alfred Alabo, who disclosed the arrest on Friday, January 5, 2023 said the eight suspects were arrested following a tip-off by members of the affected communities.

He stated that the eight suspects are undergoing interrogation at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).

According to him, “Some people have been arrested and they are in custody undergoing interrogation.

“As of the last count, they were eight in number. But at the moment, the affected communities and villages are relatively calm and our men are on ground to ensure that the peace that has been restored is maintained.”

Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has delivered relief materials for distribution to assist those affected by attacks.

The NEMA Head of Information, Mr Manzo Ezekiel, who confirmed this via a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune, disclosed that the materials were delivered in line with NEMA’s mandates for timely intervention to save lives in disaster and emergencies.

The relief items delivered included food items such as bags of rice, beans and garri, cartons of powdered milk beverages, tomato pastes and seasoning cubes.

Others are bags of salts and kegs of vegetable and palm oil.

The non-food items are cartons of detergent and toilet soap, bundles of mosquito nets and blankets.

Also delivered are pieces of mattresses, nylon mats, plastic buckets and cups.

Moreover, the agency has provided some building materials to build VIP toilets at the camps for displaced persons.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang is personally supervising the distribution of the relief items to ensure equity and fairness among the displaced persons.

NEMA Director-General, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, in the wake of the incident, deployed senior directors, led by the Director, Planning, Research and Forecasting, Dr Onimode Abdullahi Bandele, to the state to coordinate assessment and provide support to affected persons.