By Pwol Benjamin Dature, Jos
July 31 2022
No fewer than 16 båndits in Bangalala town of Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State, have reportedly been kìlled by vigilantes in a fiėrced battle.
The båndits who had reportedly occupied the town after threåtening its people to vacate, got a reprísal by the vigilantes, our correspondent reports that vigilantes on Saturday night, July 30, 2022 had mobilized and confronted the båndits head on, sadly though losing two of the vigilantes during the battle.
Bangalala a town located about 100km from Wase, the local government headquarters, is majorly populated by Muslims and traditional worshippers, a home for both the Hausa-Fulani’s, Taroh and other multi-ethnic groups.
Meanwhile the Nigerian Police Force in Plateau State has fumed saying the vigilantes did not consult any security agency before lauñching the attåck.
The State Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), DSP Alfred Alabo, said the vigilantes might have committed mùrder with the attåck.
Alabo said, “We have the FOB Commander from the STF within that axis. We have a DPO in that place. We have a local government chairman in that place. We have the DSS there.
“How come they kílled, or rather múrdered 16 people?
How come the vigilantes would kíll 16 people and would not make a report?
Those vigilantes need to be arrested. They did not tell the police authority that is within the local government area, and they published it in the newspaper that the vigilantes kílled.”
“Who went with them for the kíllińg? From the way I’m responding, you can see that we have not seen anything” he added.
He as well promised to investigate the matter to the latter.
He also said, “If you fight båndits and recover exhibits, is it not a good thing?
Then, you report it to the police. If you don’t want to report it to the police, you report it to Operation Safe Haven that is there, or the DSS that is there.”
“You can even report it even to the Civil Defence or the Nigerian Customs Service represented there. Why will you leave all the government agencies and go to the newspaper to publish?”
He said he had a contact of the local government chairman and traditional leaders in the area who should have briefed him on such a development.
It is a fact that Plateau State has experienced recurring crises, mainly between the locals and herders in recent years, with the most recent having the highest casualties of over 100 person who were reportedly kílled in April this year both in Kanam and Wase LGA’s.
From all indications, the people have lost confidence in the ability of government through its security forces to protect them and evidently have resulted to self help.
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