Army retaliatory attacks claim 39 in Plateau

Nine more bodies have been uncovered from the clashes between some villagers and soldiers in three villages of Kadarko, Kurmi and Wadata in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State raising the number of deaths to 39.

Soldiers, said to be on reprisal in over 40 trucks, were alleged to have stormed the villages on Saturday following reports of an alleged killing of four soldiers at Angwan Nanmi, Karin Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.

The traditional ruler of Kadarko, Ponzhi Kadarko, Chief Lot Nde, said on the telephone on Sunday that the death toll could still rise as soldiers, with armoured tanks, had pursued some villagers right inside the bush where many of them were shot and killed.

He said the entire villages had been razed.

Initial reports had said about 30 people were killed, but Nde said 28 people were killed in Kadarko while 11 villagers lost their lives in Wadata.

Spokesman for the Special Task Force, Capt Ikedichi Iweha, said it would be erroneous to believe that soldiers would turn round and start killing civilians.

Iweha said following frequent attacks on communities around the Plateau-Taraba border by some militiamen, the STF and soldiers from the 3 Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army had been carrying out operations to flush out the gunmen in the area.

He said in the process, there was a clash between some locals and some of the militiamen, stressing that mop up operation was still ongoing.

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