Two soldiers killed, houses reportedly set ablaze in Plateau

Gunmen have shot dead two soldiers, and another one brutally injured in the hinterlands of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, during attack on Monday night, with the victims said to be of the Operation Safe Haven.

Penpushing reports that, the  Plateau State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Ubah Ogaba confirmed the incident, adding that the injured soldier was still  receiving attention at a medical facility, as at the time of filing this report

The police spokesperson said, “suspected gunmen shot at officers of Operation Safe Haven. In the process, two soldiers were killed, one was injured,” , and in a related development, residents of Gindin Akwati, where the alleged killing occured, decried the action of soldiers whom they said burnt down many houses in retaliation.

Penpushing further reports that, a resident, Usman Adam, lamented that his house was burnt down by the soldiers,explaining thus,“early morning, the soldiers called us for a meeting, they told us to bring out miscreants that we know among us’.

“But after the meeting, we saw deployment of many soldiers into our community, they began to set fire on our homes, they burnt my own home. Later we were told that some soldiers were killed on the road, that was all that I know,” he said.

Penpushing also reports that, in a similar vein, Shuaibu Bayero  ,the local leader of Fulani herdsmen in Barkin Ladi while narrating his bitter experience said, “early morning we saw soldiers in their vehicles and motorcycles’.

“They stormed communities of our people, they burnt our homes. From our count, 150 homes were burnt down, in four close-by communities,” he alleged.

Meanwhile, as at the time of this reports the Police Command could not confirm  the burning of the houses, as the Public Relations Officer, said,“that was not confirmed to me,” .