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Army announces arrests after central Nigeria violence
JOS, Nigeria, June 28, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Nigeria’s army said on Thursday
that they have arrested 17 people in connection with the killing of more than
200 people in the central state of Plateau.
The recent clashes between cattle farmers and herders have put pressure on
President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the violence, as he works to secure a
second term in the 2019 presidential polls.
Rising insecurity in the so-called “Middle Belt” is shaping up to be a key
election issue, with predictions the extent of the violence could eclipse
that of Boko Haram’s Islamist insurgency.
Army spokesman Major Adam Umar said three of the arrests were linked to
killings in the Barikin Ladi area, while the other 14 were arrested in
connection with the deaths of travellers in the south of the state capital,
Jos.
“We all know that some days back, some villages in Barikin Ladi were
attacked and these three suspects were arrested in connection with that,”
Umar said.
“As our men were repelling the attacks in those areas, we arrested these
three suspects with four rifles, three locally made guns and one AK47,” he
added.
The clashes are rooted in tensions over access to land between the pastoral
herders and sedentary farmers but have also generated sectarian friction
between Muslims and Christians.
Police and army reinforcements have been sent to Plateau to improve
security, while a dusk-to-dawn curfew remained in place in areas of the state
to restore calm.
BSS/AFP/MRI/1710 hrs