National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Operation Safe Haven, a specialized military unit dedicated to preserving peace in Plateau State and its surroundings, has refuted claims of its soldiers harming innocent civilians during the recent incidents in the Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The media officer of the operation, Maj. Samson Zhakom, dismissed the accusation in a statement issued on Monday in Jos.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Coalition of Bokkos Ethnic Youth Nationalities has claimed that soldiers shot civilians and worsened the situation for residents in the area.
The group has demanded the removal of the commander of OPSH Step-Up Headquarters 2 in Bokkos, stating that security forces did not adequately address the recent killings in several communities within the council.
The media officer dismissed the accusation as baseless, stating that its intention was to smear the reputation of the military and other security forces in the state.
He emphasized that the assertion made by the group regarding a clash between security agencies stationed in Bokkos and vigilantes was deceitful. He reiterated that the personnel acted professionally in defending against the attack.
“Security agencies were rather preoccupied with restoring normalcy during the confrontations between different ethnic groups on April 13, 2024.
“Kudos should be given to these troops who remained deployed without break for over 72 hours, ensuring that the high grounds and other vulnerable communities were dominated in a bid to protect law-abiding citizens.
“Also, the use of sophisticated weapons by the acclaimed vigilante was further buttressed by the discovery of 11 rounds of 7.62 mm (special) ammunition in possession of the dead militia, contrary to claims that he was a vigilante who was using Dane guns to protect his community.
“Moreover, the acclaimed vigilante was already dead before the troops arrived in the area; therefore, the allegation of killing the vigilante is a calculated effort to feign weakness and exonerate the dead vigilante from his participation in the attacks and counter-reprisals,” he said.
Zhakom emphasized that the demand from the group to replace the military commander in Bokkos was malicious and intended to undermine the morale of troops in executing their lawful responsibilities.
“The call is not unconnected with the increased tempo of operations carried out by troops under the command of the senior officer, which has denied criminal elements on both sides of the divide the freedom of action.
“The desperation of the petitioners may have been aggravated by the impartial stance of the commander during the attack, which is already given a religious connotation to stir sentiment and instigate spillover to other parts of Plateau.
“It is of utmost importance to stress the risks associated with desperate attempts to galvanize negative public opinion against security agencies, taking into account the risks they pose.
“Notwithstanding the deliberate efforts to cast aspersions on our personnel, security agencies will continue to take proactive steps to prevent the breakdown of law and order in our joint operations area,” he added.
