Military dismisses allegation of complicity in Plateau attack
By: Zagazola Makama
The Joint Task Force, Operation Enduring Peace, has dismissed as false and misleading allegations that troops provided cover for perpetrators of the recent attack on Angwan Rukuba community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau.
The military made the clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday in Jos by its Media Information Officer, Capt. Chinonso Polycarp Oteh.
The statement was in response to a viral comment by a youth leader in the community, alleging that troops aided the attackers during the Palm Sunday incident.
Oteh said that although the military would ordinarily not respond in a moment of grief, it was necessary to set the record straight in the interest of public understanding.
He stated that at no time did troops provide any form of cover for the attackers, describing the allegation as unfounded.
According to him, troops promptly responded to a distress call and mobilised to the scene, which was located some distance from their deployment area, only to discover that the assailants had already fled.
“Troops acted professionally to avert what could have spiralled into further violence and immediately pursued the fleeing criminals,” he said.
The spokesman added that four gun trucks were deployed to the scene, and their conduct had been corroborated by other security agencies as well as eyewitnesses.
He further disclosed that the allegation was thoroughly investigated and found to be false.
Oteh warned that such claims were capable of demoralising troops and creating disaffection between the military and host communities.
He urged members of the public to disregard the comment, remain calm and law-abiding, and continue to support security agencies with credible information.
The spokesman assured that troops, in collaboration with other security agencies, were working to apprehend the perpetrators of the attack and would continue to maintain peace and security across
