Jos: Police, govt disagree over casualty figures

Written by Daily Trust Thursday, 11 March 2010

ShareThe Plateau State government and the Police Command have disagreed over the number of people killed during the recent attack on Dogo Nahauwa, Zot, Rasat and Kutgot villages in the state.

State Police Commissioner Mr Ikechukwu Aduba said at a press conference yesterday that a total of 109 people died while the state Commissioner for Information Mr Gregory Yenlong maintained that over 500 people were killed by Fulanis in the affected villages.

Speaking with newsmen, Mr Yenlong said the police were only being economical with the truth of the matter, saying, “As Commissioner for Information, I led both national, local and international media to the affected villages, journalists saw the people massacred and counted them, even members of the communities whose people were killed are alive and they know that they lost over 500 people”.

Briefing newsmen yesterday in Jos, Police Commissioner Ikechukwu Aduba said the 500 and 371 credited to the state government through its Commissioner for Information was fabricated and should be disregarded.

Aduba said, “We have only one mass grave designated for the burial and body count of those buried was done in the presence of both government and police officers including the state Commissioner for Information.  Those buried at the mass graves are 70, that includes 12 male children, 26 female children, 16 female adults, and 16 male adults”, he said.

He said people buried by relations privately in Barikin Ladi were 18, Dogo Nahauwa 12 and those that died in the course of treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital were nine which brings the total number of casualties to 109. This figure is authentic and undisputed, he said.

Aduba said they arrested over 200 suspects in two categories, the first category includes 49 Fulanis who were arrested immediately after Dogo Na Hauwa. He said they owned up to carrying out the invasions and killings in the villages and that they were on revenge mission. He said investigations showed that some of the Fulanis were paid while some of them were volunteers but so far, they had not revealed the identities of their sponsors.

Mr Aduba said the police also arrested 151 people in Mangu and other surrounding villages for   unlawful possession of prohibited fire arms and dangerous weapons and unlawful assembly.