Many persons were reportedly killed Saturday when soldiers and gunmen clashed at two villages of Mangu Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State.
The incident occurred after Governor Caleb Mutfwang relaxed the 24-hour curfew imposed on the area.
Mutfwang had said that following the improvement of security, the curfew should be from 8am to 4pm.
Sources told our correspondent that about 30 gunmen were killed while some soldiers sustained injuries during the clash at Satguru and Tyop villages.
Sources confirmed that “the incident (gunfire) occurred between 7 to 7:30am when the gunmen came in their numbers and started attacking some communities along Gindri road. In no time, the soldiers were alerted and immediately responded.
“About 30 of the gunmen were killed while more than 50 of them were arrested with guns and ammunition. Four soldiers were equally injured.”
Another source in the area, who also pleaded for anonymity, confirmed the incident to Daily Trust on Sunday, adding that people were still in fear.
Spokesperson of Operation Safe Haven, a multi-security Task Force maintaining peace in the area, is yet to respond to the inquiries by our correspondent at the time of filing this report.
The clash followed the deployment of new troops to the area and took place on the same day Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, visited the troops deployed to Mangu LGA and gave them marching orders to end the needless attacks and killings in the area.
Addressing the newly-deployed troops at the Mangu Mini-Stadium, Lagbaja instructed them to take a decisive action, utilise strategic maneuvers and employ necessary the force to swiftly and effectively end to killings.
The COAS, who expressed sadness over the wanton destruction of lives and property in the area, charged the troops to go after the law breakers.
The deployment of the troops followed the recent ethno-religious violence that broke out among the communities of Mangu, where many people were killed and property, including religious centres, destroyed.
Originally published in Daily Trust
