NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
(with additional reporting by Beegeagle)
14 July, 2012
The Special Task Force (STF) charged with maintaining peace in Plateau has given inhabitants of some crisis-prone villages 48 hours to vacate the settlements.
A statement signed by STF spokesman, Capt. Salisu Mustapha, said in Jos on Saturday that a “military operation’’ was going on in the affected areas located in Barkin-Ladi and Riyom Local Governments. Among the affected villages are Mahanga, Kakuruk, Maseh and Shong 2.
“The inhabitants of the affected areas are to vacate immediately with their property,’’ the statement stated. The statement, however, advised residents of neighbouring settlements such as KuraFalls, Kuzuk, Sharuk, Rim of Gashish Districts not to panic.
“Residents of such areas should just be very careful of their movement within the area and avoid places of military operation until further notice,’’ the statement said. It also advised people to report any suspicious movement or activities in their areas. The military action may have resulted from the incessant attacks by gunmen on some communities in the areas.
The attacks reached a crescendo on Sunday when a serving senator, Gyang Dantong, and Mr Gyang Fulani, Majority Leader in the Plateau House of Assembly,lost their lives in a stampede after gunmen attacked them at Maseh village during a burial ceremony. The two lawmakers had gone to the village to join others for the mass burial of several dozens of villagers that were killed in earlier attacks by gunmen.
NTA News reports monitored by this writer showed troops clad in camouflage uniforms and backed by Ford Ranger 4WD trucks, Otokar Cobra armoured personnel carriers who were personally led by the Force Commander, Major General Henry Ayoola, scouting in hill-bound villages while two hovering Mil attack helicopters conducted surveiilance sweeps over highland areas, apparently in search of terrorists and Fulani ethnic militiamen who are believed to be holed up in the highlands from where there prey on comparatively defenceless communities of indigenous peoples.
All the pointers suggest that the impending highland offensive shall be a wholly military operation as none of the allied contingents of Nigeria Police Mobile Force, Anti Bomb Squad and Anti Terrorism Squad or State Security Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel, all of whom work in conjunction with the military on routine combined operations, were seen participating in the scouting mission, snippets of which were aired on NTA News.
Yeah, it’s time to bring justice to these murderous herdsmen and their boko haram collaborators.
God’s speed nigerian armed forces, show them what you are made of.
I bet the NA can’t wait to have a go at this beasts. Let the NA unleash a small fragment of it’s might on them, let them have a taste of what real war/battle ( not suicide bombing) really is.
Bastards!
Oga beeg please i want to ask does the NAF have heavy bombers like the strato used by america and how many hard points does the f7-ni have.How many of nigerian airforce fighters and bombers are active as of now,that if there is trouble how many can NAF call to action this very minuit.thanks for your reply.
And also mr beeg does nigeria have anti air missiles and coastal defence batteries,i do not know if these questions have been asked and ans before bt i would like to know.i havent found any defence website with these info.
Johnbest, OFFICIALLY nobody has mentioned anything about coastal defence missiles but the military have been implementing a $500m air-launched/sea-launched drones and coastal defence systems project. It is driven by Israel and centres on the NN and the NAF.
Ideally, a coastal radar station should have countermeasures in place namely shore artillery batteries and missiles. So that one is up in the air. Not stated officially but it remains a distinct possibility knowing Nigeria.
Today, we have just unearthed a new APC fielded by the Police, yesterday it was Proforce anti-ballistics vehicles, last week it was PICOMSS Diamond DA42 MPP turboprops. So trust us to put the seal of authority on that once it is whispered into my ears by some of the absolutely authoritative voices who tell me stuff backstage.
Without any shred of doubt, having seen some of them for myself at Jos, the NA Corps of Artillery deploy Roland Air Defence Missiles.
OGA BEEG , PLEASE give us some more info on the roland air defence missile system this is news.