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Gunmen kill two soldiers, 46 others in Plateau, Borno

Gunmen

No fewer than 30 people, including two soldiers, were on Tuesday killed when some unknown gunmen attacked two communities in the Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The murdered soldiers were said to be personnel of the Special Task Force on security in Jos.

The latest incident is coming barely 24 hours after the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Chris Olakpe, read the riot act to community leaders, threatening to arrest any of them who foment trouble in his domain.

A local Chinese contractor was killed about a week ago in the area that has been in crisis for over a decade.

Eyewitnesses said the gunmen invaded Atakar and Rajat communities of Riyom in their hundreds at about 3 am, killing 19 people and 11 in the respective communities.

Unspecified number of people were said to have been wounded while property were burnt down during the attack. Over 60 houses were said to have been razed by the gunmen.

The member representing Riyom constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly, Mr.  Daniel Dem, confirmed the incident, which he described as sad.

He also confirmed the death of the soldiers.

“As we speak, those killed have been given mass burial. Scores of persons were injured and have fled their homes to neighbouring villages in Kaduna State,” he said.

He called on the Federal Government to deploy more troops in the area and to begin aerial surveillance in order to stop further attacks in the communities.

Efforts to reach the spokesman of the STF, Capt. Salisu Mustapha, were not successful as calls to his mobile phone were not answered.

But the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Felicia Anselm, confirmed an attack in the area.

She however said that the report she got did not indicate that anybody was killed.

“We got the report of an attack in the area, but the report I have on my table right now did not say that anybody was killed. I do not know of any other attack,” Anselm said.

In a related development, the Yobe Police Command on Tuesday confirmed the killing of 18 traders by bandits in Bara village.

Commissioner of Police in the state, Alhaji Sanusi Rufai, told newsmen that the traders were ambushed by the bandits while travelling back from Ngalda market.

“The bandits attacked and killed 18 traders; 10 from Kukuwa and eight from Dokshi villages and took away their money. The bandits were masked and wearing army uniform,” he said.