Nigerian Military Warns Against Self Defence In Plateau, North-central Nigeria

The Special Military Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) has cautioned  residents of Plateau State, North-central against taking laws into hands under the guise of self defence in response to the increasing attacks in the state.

Ishaku Takwa, the media officer of OPSH in a statement issued in Jos, the state capital, warned that the security situation in the state would only escalate if residents heed  the consistent call to defend themselves against those attacking them. 

Plateau State House of Assembly had on Friday, Aug. 27 called on the residents to stand up and defend themselves against killers in the state.

But in the statement issued on Monday, Takwa faulted the call by the state House of Assembly. “We have noted several reports in the media by some highly placed individuals calling on law-abiding citizens of Plateau to resort to defending themselves in the face of the security challenge experienced in the state,” he said.

He urged law abiding citizens of the state not to take laws into their hands but continue to provide the military with credible and timely information to enable the military to protect communities from attacks.

“We have improved on our responses to distress calls and several attacks were prevented from happening lately,” Takwa said, adding that, “these successes were possible due to the trust and provision of timely and credible information from the good people of the state.”

Crisis erupted in Plateau after the killing of 26 travellers on Rukuba road in Jos North Local Government area of the state while returning from Bauchi where they had gone to attend a religious function.

There have been reprisal attacks in the state despite the imposition of a dusk to dawn curfew by the state government.