Ombatse still holding our officers-police IG

The police boss revealed that some policemen were still being held hostage by the Ombatse.

A number of police personnel are still being held hostage by militia group, Ombatse, nearly a week after their colleagues were brutally murdered by the group in Nasarawa state, Inspector General of police, Mohammed Abubakar, has said.

Mr. Abubakar made the revelation on Saturday in Lafia, when he visited the wives of the slain police officers. He described the killings as callous.

About 30 policemen were killed by members of a militia group, Ombatse. The police boss said that some officers were still in the custody of the militia group, adding that efforts were being made to ensure their release.

“We are making every peaceful effort to ensure that some of our men still being held hostages are released unhurt,” Mr. Abubakar said.

He appealed to the Nasarawa State elders to help the police fish out those behind the killing of dozens of policemen in Alakyo Village on Tuesday.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade, who also spoke described the killing as barbaric.

“Somebody somewhere is causing havoc for whatever reason and the society must not allow that to continue,” he said.

Mr. Olubolade assured that the police would unravel those behind the killing and bring them to justice.

Nasarawa State governor, Umaru Al-Makura, said that the Ombatse group that attacked the personnel, was proscribed since January. He said that elders of the area were not happy with the activities of the group, “but could not talk to them for fear of the sophisticated weapons at their disposal.”

The governor said that efforts were being made to recover the remaining bodies of the slain officers.

The IG had a closed door meeting with the spouses of the slain officers at the state police headquarter in Lafia.

Stella Momoh, the widow of a slain officer said she could not believe that her husband was dead. She thanked the IG for the visit and expressed the hope that the Police High Command would take care of their children as promised.

(NAN)