Four soldiers attached to the Special Task Force on security in Jos were killed on Sunday in an ambush by suspected gunmen in Gida Bua, a village in Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The incident is coming as the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Olakpe, said that his men had arrested a serial car snatcher who confessed to terrorising car owners in Jos and Bukuru metropolis.
Our correspondent gathered that the soldiers were among nine others who were on a patrol before they ran into an ambush laid for them by the gunmen.
While five of them escaped unhurt, the four were not so lucky as they were killed by the assailants.
A military source who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press, said that the members of the STF were patrolling the village in their military vehicle at the early hours of Sunday when unknown gunmen opened fire on them.
The Chairman of the local council, Mr. Bendel Nancwat, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, appealed for calm and called on citizens of the locality to remain calm as security operatives were on top of the situation.
The Media/Communications Officer of STF, Capt. Ikedi Iweha, told our correspondent that he had been contacted, but had yet to get the details.
“I have been contacted on the issue and we are investigating,” he said, and promised to get the full details of the alleged incident.
Olakpe said that the confession of the serial car snatcher led to the recovery of four cars in various parts of the state. The commissioner also took time off to enlighten members of the public on the materials used in producing improvised explosive devices and what to do in the event of a bomb attack.
He said that the public should lie down in the case of a blast for at least 30 minutes and avoid rushing to explosion sites as there could be the likelihood of a second explosion, aimed at achieving maximum damage.
He enjoined the public to avoid rumour mongers and to report suspicious movement of people and material to the police.
Meanwhile, the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has decried the spate of bombings, kidnappings and other forms of crimes in the country.
He therefore called on parents and guardians to show more commitment to the proper upbringing of their children and wards respectively, especially in the face of the prevailing security challenges in the country.
Ahmed in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, on the occasion of this year’s Children Day celebration, noted that Nigeria was passing through one of the most challenging and traumatic periods of its political history.
The governor stated that the society must ensure that the Nigerian child, especially the girl child, lived in a peaceful atmosphere conducive for growth.
He advised the Nigerian child to strive for excellence and urged parents to instill religious and moral discipline in their children so that they could become responsible adults.
Ahmed also appealed to religious leaders to continue to pray for peace and harmony in the country for the nation to achieve its potential.
by ROTMANLUV 2023-07-08, 17:34
