The Special Task Force Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) has announced the arrest of 21 suspects in relation to the attacks on three local government areas – Jos South, Riyom and Barkin Ladi – in Plateau State.
This was made known to newsmen by Major Adam Umar, the media officer of the task force, and Mr. Tyopev Terna, Public Relations Officer of the Plateau State Police Command in Jos on Monday.
The attacks have been reported to have resulted in the death of over 100 people, prompting the state government to impose a 10pm-to-6am curfew on the affected areas.
According to Umar, those arrested include those the security agencies found with illegal arms and weapons, as well as those who disrupted the protests that followed the attacks.
He said: “Out of the 21 suspects we arrested so far, 11 of them are those arrested in connection to the killings in Barkin Ladi and environs while 14 of them were arrested from the scene of the civil disturbances after the attacks.
“In our efforts to fish out the criminals carrying out attacks in some villages in the state, particularly in Barkin Ladi, we have been able to arrest some people from the scene of attacks. The suspects we are parading were arrested with arms, some of them with locally-made guns, revolvers and other dangerous weapons which they are not supposed to have as citizens.
“Information we extracted from the original suspects led us to trace some other accomplices and we have also arrested them. And there is the possibility of making more arrests over those killings as we intensify our efforts to get to the root of these killings in pursuant of our mandate to stop the killings, prevent further killings and restore total peace in the state.
In our commitment and desire not to give the attackers opportunity to operate or opportunity to escape after attack, the commander of OPSH has relocated to Barkin Ladi based on his resolve to remain with the villagers and monitor things closely and to be able to respond faster to distress calls from residents in danger.”
He then appealed to the public to support the security agencies by reporting suspicious activities in their environment.
