Cult clashes claim five lives in Plateau

• Police debunk report
• Nigerian, other troops join forces to end terrorism in N’East

No fewer than five people have been killed in Jenta Adamu, Jos North Council of Plateau State, in clashes by rival cult groups.

The Guardian gathered that two people were shot dead on Tuesday while at least three were shot in the head yesterday morning.

Though the police rushed victims of yesterday’s attack to the hospital immediately, they did not survive. Yesterday, the area turned a ghost town, as the residents refused to come out.

But the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Edward Egbuka, who briefed the press on the arrest of criminals terrorising the state, dismissed the report.

Egbuka enjoined journalists to ignore rumours, adding that nothing like that happened.

The Acting Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), M.M. Sha’aban, said what the police commissioner said was the true position. But yesterday, youths came out in the area in their numbers with arms in search of the cultists.

MEANWHILE, Nigerian troops are to join their counterparts from Chad, Cameroon and Niger Republic to fight Boko Haram in the North East.

The joint aerial and ground military operations are aimed at ending the over a decade-long terrorism in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

While announcing the new operations yesterday at the Special Super Camp 1, Ngamdu, Borno State, the Chief of Army Staff, Maj-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, disclosed that the armed forces were working hard to restore peace in the North East.

His words: “We’re working with our Chadian, Cameroonian and Nigerien counterparts to see that we end Boko Haram in no distant time. The entire operational process involves taking over of the theatre command. Thereafter, you visit the troops under various commanders.

“I was briefed by their commanders and they have listed their problems in the front lines. We will go back and articulate and address these problems to end this insurgency that has claimed many lives.”

He expressed happiness with what the troops were doing, promising to address their problems to boost their morale in the theatre of war.

While thanking the troops for their resilience and professionalism, he said: “I am here to pay you a special thank you visit. The President and the Commander in Chief is happy with you and he has sent you his greetings.”
We are proud of you.

“You have push out these criminals far, and you will continue to do the same subsequently until we end this war.”