Plateau killings: Seven more suspects arrested

macfranc007 July 18, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Naija news 24/7 Oluwatobi Bolashodun

- Security agencies have arrested seven more suspects in connection with the recent killings of over 200 persons by suspected herdsmen in Plateau state

- The suspects were paraded at the headquarters of the Special Military Special Task Force, codenamed Operation Safe Haven, in Jos

- One of the suspects however, denied ever participating in the attacks

Officials of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) in Plateau state arrested 7 additional persons in connection to the June 23 attacks in Barkin Ladi and Riyom local government areas, The Nation reports.

NAIJ.com gathered that Brig.-Gen. John Agie, the acting director of defence information, who paraded the suspects on Tuesday, July 17, at the command headquarters in Jos, said: “I came in from Abuja today in continuation of our intelligence gathering and intensive investigation over what happened last month.

“Our troops are still after the culprits of the June 23 attacks, and this led to the arrest of two suspects – Ibrahim Choji and Ahmadu Ibrahim. These two were part of those who attacked Zongo village on June 23.

“We also have three other suspects here -Shuaibu Suleman, Buhari Shuaibu, Zakamin Abdulkadri – part of those who attacked Josho village in Bokkos council on July 14.

“After this parade, we will hand them over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.

“Meanwhile, our intelligence is working in the villages to fish out these attackers, and as soon as we get them, we will let the public know, and they will be treated according to the law.

“We have paraded 11 suspects before, and here is another seven; all of them are connected to the attacks. So we have 18 suspects so far.”

However, one of the suspects, identified as Ahmadu Ibrahim, denied ever participating in the attacks, claiming he was arrested while returning from a cattle market in Bukuru.

NAIJ.com previously reported that barely four days after the deadly attacks that left 86 people dead, Plateau state House of Assembly set up a seven-man special committee to probe the attacks in parts of the state.

The panel headed by Yusuf Gagdi is to investigate the Saturday, June 25 killings in 11 villages in Barikin Ladi local government area and some villages in Bokkos and Riyom.

The committee is to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the attacks, identify the perpetrators, ascertain the number of communities affected and the extent of destruction and make appropriate recommendations.

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