Over 90 people were feared killed yesterday in a gun duel involving security operatives and members of the Eggon militia group, Ombatse, in Alakyo village of Lafia East development area of Nasarawa State. The operatives had been drafted there to arrest the leader of the group, Baba Alakyo, and recover arms said to be in his possession.
Of the 11 trucks of security men deployed to the area, only two returned safely to Lafia with only 20 policemen, nine of whom received different degrees of gunshot wounds. One of those killed include an assistant commissioner of police, Momoh, who led the team; some officers of the State Security Service (SSS) and about 15 Civil Defence Corps officers.
The development came just as Governor Tanko Al-Makura told Vice President Namadi Sambo that over 20 policemen were killed during the attack by the militia.
The governor had earlier proscribed the ethnic militia for visiting untold horror on different other ethnic groups in various parts of the state but the militiamen have continued to carry out their activities with brazen impunity.
LEADERSHIP findings revealed that the militiamen, who got wind of the impending arrest of their leader, Alakyo, by mobile police officers, ambushed the officers by dusk, forcing them to run away.
Addressing newsmen on the incident in his office, the state commissioner of police, MrAbayomiAkeremale, said sending his men for the arrest was to be carried out to avert a religious crisis which could be sparked off by Alakyo forcefully administering traditional concoction on adherents of other religions at variance with the Ombatse spiritual beliefs and practices.
When LEADERSHIP visited the DalhatuAraf Specialist Hospital (DASH), Lafia, the nurse in charge of the casualty who was authorised to talk to the press, Mrs Sarah Lamba, said nine officers were rushed with varying degrees of gunshots but said no access would be granted for interaction with the patients.
When contacted, the national president of Eggon Cultural Development Association, MrChris Mamman, said on getting distress calls from his people by 6pm of Tuesday, he contacted the security adviser to Governor Al-makura who said he was not aware of such a step by the security and wondered why over 10 trucks would be used to convey security for one person’s arrest.
“It is because the state government thinks the Eggon man is an animal to just be killed; if not what explains this act?” he queried.
Militia kill over 20 policemen – Al-Makura
Meanwhile, Al-Makura has stated that over 20 police officers were killed in a gruesome attack by men of Ombatse militia group at Alakio village in Nasarawa State about 10 km from Lafia, Nassarawa state capital.
According to the governor, who was at the presidential villa, Abuja, yesterday to brief Sambo on the incident that occured on Tuesday said the policemen were brutally murdered by the cult group in the course of the duty to contain members of the group who have been causing violence just destabilize his government.
Al-Makura, a Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) governor, who said he was at the villa to seek federal government’s assistance, noted angrily that his government was now set to put an end to the activities of the cult group which he noted had a year ago been dislodged by security forces, only to spring back on Tuesday with more fierce attack on innocent citizens.
Noting that the incident happened in a village called Alakyo about 10km from Lafia, the state capital, he added that “the position of this militia is unacceptable to the government and already, we are taking appropriate steps to see that the perpetrators of this act are brought to book”.
Explaining how the incident happened, Al-Makura said, “I am here to meet with His Excellency, the Vice President to brief him about the security situation in my state. Just yesterday, we have a very bitter security problem that has caused the death of some security officers in the state. Two weeks ago, we discovered a certain militia group holding arms and carrying out cultist activities in the state.
“Since January, this thing has not abated and in the past two weeks, it took a total different dimension. They have been going for one place to another including churches and taking people for that particular ethnic group to come and take portions that are meant to empower them to do what they want to do. This escalated and is causing serious concern for the state. We decided to hold security meeting to find a way of solving the problem.
“The solution was to go to the shrine and pick on the cult leader so that the problem will be solved once and for all. As security operatives were approaching the shrine, unknown to them that ambush has been laid for them, these people attacked them and resulted in the death of more than 20 policemen.
This is a situation that is so grave and I feel it is very important that I come to brief the Vice President about the security situation and to seek assistance so that we can handle the matter once and for all”.
Of the 11 trucks of security men deployed to the area, only two returned safely to Lafia with only 20 policemen, nine of whom received different degrees of gunshot wounds. One of those killed include an assistant commissioner of police, Momoh, who led the team; some officers of the State Security Service (SSS) and about 15 Civil Defence Corps officers.
The development came just as Governor Tanko Al-Makura told Vice President Namadi Sambo that over 20 policemen were killed during the attack by the militia.
The governor had earlier proscribed the ethnic militia for visiting untold horror on different other ethnic groups in various parts of the state but the militiamen have continued to carry out their activities with brazen impunity.
LEADERSHIP findings revealed that the militiamen, who got wind of the impending arrest of their leader, Alakyo, by mobile police officers, ambushed the officers by dusk, forcing them to run away.
Addressing newsmen on the incident in his office, the state commissioner of police, MrAbayomiAkeremale, said sending his men for the arrest was to be carried out to avert a religious crisis which could be sparked off by Alakyo forcefully administering traditional concoction on adherents of other religions at variance with the Ombatse spiritual beliefs and practices.
When LEADERSHIP visited the DalhatuAraf Specialist Hospital (DASH), Lafia, the nurse in charge of the casualty who was authorised to talk to the press, Mrs Sarah Lamba, said nine officers were rushed with varying degrees of gunshots but said no access would be granted for interaction with the patients.
When contacted, the national president of Eggon Cultural Development Association, MrChris Mamman, said on getting distress calls from his people by 6pm of Tuesday, he contacted the security adviser to Governor Al-makura who said he was not aware of such a step by the security and wondered why over 10 trucks would be used to convey security for one person’s arrest.
“It is because the state government thinks the Eggon man is an animal to just be killed; if not what explains this act?” he queried.
Militia kill over 20 policemen – Al-Makura
Meanwhile, Al-Makura has stated that over 20 police officers were killed in a gruesome attack by men of Ombatse militia group at Alakio village in Nasarawa State about 10 km from Lafia, Nassarawa state capital.
According to the governor, who was at the presidential villa, Abuja, yesterday to brief Sambo on the incident that occured on Tuesday said the policemen were brutally murdered by the cult group in the course of the duty to contain members of the group who have been causing violence just destabilize his government.
Al-Makura, a Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) governor, who said he was at the villa to seek federal government’s assistance, noted angrily that his government was now set to put an end to the activities of the cult group which he noted had a year ago been dislodged by security forces, only to spring back on Tuesday with more fierce attack on innocent citizens.
Noting that the incident happened in a village called Alakyo about 10km from Lafia, the state capital, he added that “the position of this militia is unacceptable to the government and already, we are taking appropriate steps to see that the perpetrators of this act are brought to book”.
Explaining how the incident happened, Al-Makura said, “I am here to meet with His Excellency, the Vice President to brief him about the security situation in my state. Just yesterday, we have a very bitter security problem that has caused the death of some security officers in the state. Two weeks ago, we discovered a certain militia group holding arms and carrying out cultist activities in the state.
“Since January, this thing has not abated and in the past two weeks, it took a total different dimension. They have been going for one place to another including churches and taking people for that particular ethnic group to come and take portions that are meant to empower them to do what they want to do. This escalated and is causing serious concern for the state. We decided to hold security meeting to find a way of solving the problem.
“The solution was to go to the shrine and pick on the cult leader so that the problem will be solved once and for all. As security operatives were approaching the shrine, unknown to them that ambush has been laid for them, these people attacked them and resulted in the death of more than 20 policemen.
This is a situation that is so grave and I feel it is very important that I come to brief the Vice President about the security situation and to seek assistance so that we can handle the matter once and for all”.
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