By Our Reporter
Abuja – The President Muhammadu Buhari has given the federal troops in Plateau State marching order to flush out gunmen terrorising the people in various communities in 10 days.
The General Officer Commanding 3rd Armoured Division, Nigeria Army, Major General Ibrahim Ali, who disclosed this on Monday, also said that more troops had been deployed in the state to achieve the mandate.
Addressing some of the troops who were deployed in Tangoron community, in the Riyom Local Government Area, Ali who is also the Commander, Operation Safe Haven said, “The Commander- in -Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari has asked us to gun down anybody seen carrying illegal weapon and we must carry out the order.
“Those people must be criminals .So, you have to go into the bush and clear the criminals wherever they are hiding and you have been given 10 days to do that and achieve results.”
The GOC also visited some of the communities attacked by gunmen including Miango, Biyei among others, and presented them with relief materials including bags of rice, blankets, cartons of indomie and bags of salt.
Precise Post recalls that the paramount ruler of Irigwe ethnic nationality in Plateau State, His Royal Highness, The Bra Ngwe Irigwe, Rt Rev Ronku Aka, has lamented the tragedy that befell his people in the Bassa Local Government Area following the recent invasion of their communities by gunmen suspected to be herdsmen.
According to the monarch, some security operatives who were deployed in the communities during the attacks told the residents they had no instruction to repel the invaders.
The monarch stated this when the President of the Para-Mallam Peace Foundation, Rev Gideon Para-Mallam, led other officials of the non-governmental organisation on a sympathy visit to his palace in Miango.
The group had earlier taken relief materials to internally displaced persons on Friday
The traditional ruler said the destruction that took place in his kingdom had further exposed the handicap of the governors and the council chairmen as chief security officers in their respective areas of jurisdiction in the country
Aku said, “I don’t blame the local government chairman in Bassa or the governor of the state over the calamity that has befallen my people.
“At peace meetings, the governor will give order but the security men will go and do a different thing.
“During the recent attacks in my communities, the soldiers and other security operatives were around. As the invaders were carrying out the attacks in Jebu Miango and advancing to other communities we expected them to confront the invaders and stop the destruction going on but that did not happen.
“When I enquired what was happening, some soldiers cried to me that they did not receive the order to repel the attackers on the communities.
“Some of them who expressed frustration over the situation wondered the essence of holding guns which they could not use and left the scene while the attackers continued with their destruction in the communities.
“If the security agents were deployed and allowed to do their job, may be, the attackers would not have succeeded with their evil plans and my people would not be suffering what they are experiencing at the moment.
