By Umar Yusuf with agency report
Yola – Christians Association of Nigeria,  CAN, Adamawa State chapter has appealed to the state government to as a matter of urgency fish-out those responsible for dastardly killings of over 15 of their members in Yola and Mubi in January this year.

The appeal is coming as the Joint Task Force, JTF, in Maiduguri said that two suspected Boko Haram militants were killed yesterday during a raid on their meeting point near the NNPC station, Abbaganaram.

In a statement signed by Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, the spokesman for the JTF on ‘Operation Restore Order,’ ORO, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Maiduduri, it said that the militants were marshalling out plans to cause havoc in the city before they were raided.

“Following a tip-off, the JTF troops today attacked Boko Haram meeting point at Abbaganaram near the NNPC station, Maiduguri, where about 10 suspected terrorists were holding a meeting.
“The gathering was with a view to cause mayhem in the city.”

It said that immediately they sighted the JTF troops the suspects attempted to escape.

“One of them was sporadically shooting at the troops direction. In an exchange of fire, two of them got shot while one was arrested alive.”

According to the statement, two AK 47 rifles, rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunitions and Nokia cell phones were recovered from them.

“A local car washing shade and a shop in the area suspected to belong to the members of the sect were destroyed by the troops,” Sagir said.

It added that patrol had been intensified to avoid any break down of law and order.

However, the Adamawa CAN regretted that after waiting for over three months for government’s official pronouncement on those behind the killings, it could no long hold its silence anymore.

Chairman of the association Rev. Father Moses Taparki told a news conference in Yola yesterday that more worrisome to CAN was the alleged ”insinuation by the state government that the killings were allegedly masterminded by Christians,” themselves.

“Moments after the Yola and Mubi killings, the Adamawa State Government made a pronouncement to the effect that 15 persons were arrested in connection with the dastardly act, and assured CAN that those responsible for the killings would be fished out and brought to book.

”But, more than three months after the incident the government has neither told us of any arrests talk less of the identity of those arrested: It is equally regrettable that what the association is made to understand now is that the  government has made up its mind that the killings in Mubi and Yola were masterminded by Christians and a section of the ethnic nationality” he added.

He said it was based on this insinuation by the government, that the association was compelled to demand that it made public,  those arrested in connection with the carnage.

Taparki maintained that government had created what he described as a confused scenario over the Yola and Mubi killings thereby exposing its insincerity in handling the issue.

While calling on all Christians to remain calm and law abiding, the CAN president also urged members of the association to use the period of Easter to pray for peace and tranquility not only in Adamawa State but the nation at large.