The defence Headquarters has denied the allegations that four looters were killed by soldiers at the residence of the former Speaker of House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara in Jos.
This is the unedited press statement by the spokesperson of Defense Headquarters Gen Eneche on the issue
PRESS RELEASE
RE- “SOLDIERS ALLEGEDLY KILL FOUR PERSONS, DUMP BODY INSIDE POND IN JOS”
1. The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to an online Vanguard publication of 30 October 2020 ( 5.43pm) with the above caption, ( story by Marie- Therese Nanlong Jos).
2. In the said publication, the writer reported that; some residents of Gwafan village in Jos North local Government Area, claimed that soldiers attached to the Special Task (STF) Force, Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH), killed 4 members of the community and dumped their bodies in surrounding Dams in the area during an attempt to stop hoodlums from looting the residence of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara.
3. For the records, on Sunday 25 October 2020, hoodlums and vandals invaded the private property of the former Speaker at Lamingo, with a view to looting it. Consequently, troops of the STF, OPSH, which is saddled with the responsibility of maintaining peace and tranquility in Plateau State and environs, were immediately deployed to bring the situation under control.
4. Guided by extant Rules of Engagement and Standing Operating Procedures for such situations, the highly professional troops arrived at the residence and apprehended a total number of 30 looters. Additionally, a total of 114 hoodlums comprising 21 females and 93 males were apprehended for looting. Recall that Headquarters Operation SAFE HAVEN paraded the suspects before the press, and this was widely reported in various main stream and online media.
5. It is worthy to mention that the timely intervention of our troops at the residence of the former Speaker ensured that the situation was nipped in the bud. Thus, the story is a malicious and mischievous publication against the Nigerian Military and Operation SAFE HAVEN in particular, that has commendably fostered peace in Plateau State. It is also worthy of mention that on 26 October 2020, 41 suspected hoodlums comprising 6 females and 35 males were arrested and thereafter released after profiling. One therefore wonders where there was shooting for a situation that was managed professionally to bring the situation under control.
6. Consequently, the Defence Headquarters wishes to commend the highly professional troops of Operation SAFE HAVEN for their dedication to duty. Members of the general public are also assured of their safety and are encouraged to go about their lawful activities without any fear. Additionally, it is always advisable for Media organizations to verify their facts before rushing to publish untrue and unverified stories.
7. You are please requested to disseminate this information through your medium for the awareness of the general public. Thank you for your usual support and cooperation.
JOHN ENENCHE
Major General
Coordinator
Defence Media Operations
Defence Headquarters
30 October 2020.