Gun-carrying Plateau youths engaged troops in gunfire, arrests made – military
The Nigerian Army’s ‘Operation SAFE HAVEN’ has said that some gun-bearing youths in the troubled kerang communities in Mangu, Plateau State, exchanged gunfire with troops deployed to keep the peace.
The army condemned the attack and destruction of properties by the said youths. It also alleged the youths “attacked Airforce Personnel enforcing the 24-hour curfew” in Kerang Mangu.
“We have successfully apprehended the perpetrators and seized a cache of dangerous weapons used in the attack,” the army said in a statement issued by Captain Oya James, the media information officer for ‘Operation SAFE HAVEN.’
He added that the military seized “one AK-47 rifle, four locally fabricated automatic rifles, one locally made mortar bomb launcher, seven empty shells of 7.62mm, one empty shell of a cartridge, one pistol magazine, 36 Boris, three rounds of 7.62mm, and seven rounds of 9 x 19mm.”
The statement described the alleged act as “reckless and unlawful”, while it affirmed the soldiers commitment “to upholding the rule of law.”
The army said it “will not tolerate any attempts to disrupt the peace and security of the region.”
“We urge the peace loving people of Kerang and all citizens to refrain from engaging in acts of violence and to respect the authority of the state.”
It said that “the imposition of the 24-hour curfew was a necessary measure to safeguard the lives and property of all residents and it is essential that it be adhered to for the collective well-being of the community. “
