Gunmen Attack Barkinladi, Plateau ...Killed Five People

Five people were killed as gunmen stormed Rakun Village in Barkinladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, an official has said.

The spokesperson of the Special Taskforce on Jos crisis, STF, Ikedichi Iweha, said this in a telephone interview with journalists

He said the dead persons include two suspected attackers.

But the Police Public Relations Officer, Abuh Emmanuel, on Tuesday in an interview with Premium Times put the death toll at three.

“The DPO in charge of the area reported the incident this (Tuesday) morning. Three people died in the incident, “ Emmanuel said.

The police spokesperson said no arrest has been made, but more security personnel have been

deployed to the scene to maintain law and order.

“More personnel have been deployed to the area, but no arrests have been made so far. Our men are on the trail of the suspects,” he said.

Residents of the area, particularly relations of the victims, argued that the casualty rate was higher. They also said several others were injured in the incident.

The conflicting figures brandished by the security workers and witness have become common place. State officials often refute figures by witnesses by presenting lower death tolls that observers say is an attempt to downplay crisis.

Several local governments in Plateau have continued to witness violence leading to the death of hundreds of people. On Monday, 10 people including a woman and two children were killed by yet to be identified gunmen in Langtang North.

July 15, 2014