By Israel Adamu, Jos
Gunmen suspected to be herders have reportedly killed a police inspector, Yakubu Dauda, and seized his rifle in the Chwelnyap Rim community of Riyom Local Government Area, Plateau State.
Confirming the incident to journalists in Riyom during a visit by the fact-finding committee set up by Governor Caleb Mutfwang to investigate the causes of violence plaguing the state, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Riyom LGA, David Tsado, said the incident occurred on Monday while officers were on an operation in the area.
DPO Tsado narrated that the gunmen, who arrived in large numbers, ambushed the officers, resulting in the death of one of them.
He explained that the attackers were heavily armed, and despite mobilizing additional personnel after the ambush, the police were unable to overpower the assailants due to their firepower.
“Yesterday, my men were on ground in the community following a report of security threats in the area, not knowing that gunmen had laid an ambush. In the process of tracing the gunmen, they opened fire on our men, and one of us, Inspector Yakubu Dauda, unfortunately lost his life.
“His corpse has been deposited at the hospital. Today, the Commissioner of Police deployed more personnel to take the fight to the criminals’ den, but it turned into another heavy encounter. It got to a stage that we had to retreat,” the DPO said.
Chairman of the fact-finding committee, Major General Nicholas Rogers (rtd), while addressing the press during the visit, said the committee was in the local government area to understand the root causes of the incessant killings and attacks.
“It is a very bad situation. We are here to identify the problems and gather suggestions from stakeholders toward finding lasting solutions,” he said.
Youth and community leaders told the committee that several villages had been attacked recently. They said that in the last one month, about nine persons had been killed and 33 houses burnt. They expressed hope that the establishment of the committee would bring an end to the attacks.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, DSP Alfred Alabo, for further confirmation were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
