At least nine people have been killed in separate attacks in Plateau State, while troops of Operation Enduring Peace arrested 11 suspected kidnappers and rescued two victims in security operations across the state.
The fresh killings occurred between Saturday night and Sunday morning in communities in Barkin Ladi, Riyom and surrounding areas, according to community sources.
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Five people travelling to Gana-Ropp in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area were reportedly killed when their vehicle came under attack on Saturday night.
Two other people, including a pastor, were also killed at Dorowa Babuje in Barkin Ladi on Sunday morning while on their way to church, residents said.
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The attacks triggered panic in parts of the area, with residents reportedly moving women and children to safer locations as gunshots were heard around the Kantoma axis.
Two additional deaths were reported at Baten Wereng in Riyom Local Government Area and Ratyidi in Fan District.
The latest attacks came as security forces continued operations against criminal groups operating in the state.
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In a statement issued on Sunday, the Media Information Officer of Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace, Captain Chinonso Oteh, said troops had arrested 11 suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate and rescued two kidnapped victims during separate operations.
The operations were conducted on Saturday by troops of Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, deployed at Lamingo, following intelligence on the activities of suspected kidnappers operating around Rayfield and other parts of Jos North Local Government Area.
According to Mr Oteh, troops raided suspected criminal hideouts at Shere, Gwafan and Maza Hills, leading to the arrest of 11 suspects.
He said the operation was strengthened by information obtained from two victims who were abducted from Gwafan community on 18 September.
“During preliminary investigation, the victims positively identified three of the arrested suspects as members of the syndicate allegedly responsible for their abduction,” Mr Oteh said.
The troops also recovered weapons during the operations.
In Bassa Local Government Area, troops of Sector 3 conducted a cordon-and-search operation at about 6 p.m. on Saturday following intelligence and arrested a suspect.
One locally fabricated rifle was recovered from the operation.
In Mangu Local Government Area, troops of Sector 8 also conducted a confidence-building patrol along the Tul-Ntam-Angwan Mata-Deng-Deng axis.
The patrol led to the arrest of another suspected criminal around the Water Board area after he allegedly attempted to conceal a weapon on sighting the troops.
The troops recovered a locally fabricated automatic weapon, nine rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition and a mobile phone from the suspect, the military said.
Mr Oteh said the suspects were in custody and undergoing further investigation to establish their links with other members of the syndicate and facilitate the arrest of fleeing suspects.
The Commander of Operation Enduring Peace, Maxwell Dangana, commended the troops for their response and urged them to sustain operations against criminal elements across the Joint Operations Area.
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He also appealed to residents to continue providing credible information to security agencies.
“The timely provision of credible information remains critical to the success of ongoing operations against criminal elements and efforts to consolidate the prevailing peace across the state,” Mr Oteh quoted the commander as saying.
The military said it remained committed to protecting lives and property and strengthening security operations across Plateau.
However, as of Sunday, there was no official statement from the Plateau State Police Command giving a consolidated casualty figure for the latest attacks in Barkin Ladi, Riyom and neighbouring communities.
The conflicting accounts on the casualties could not immediately be independently reconciled.
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