BY MARIE-THERESE NANLONG
JOS – The Special Task Force, STF in Plateau State yesterday destroyed houses in Foron a village in Barkin Ladi following a purported “search operation” carried out in the area by men of the Special Task Force.

About 10 Hilux vans and one Armoured Personnel Carriers, APC filled with soldiers and some Fulani herdsmen stormed the community at about 6.30 am, a resident, Samson Tsok said.

He stated the soldiers harassed residents, destroying their property and causing pandemonium thereby forcing the residents to flee for their lives.

Tsok who is the Acting National Chairman of Berom Youth Moulders, BYM stressed, “One Berom village, Foron was attacked by unknown gunmen suspected to be Fulani on Tuesday night, two of our boys were killed in the attack and four people are still missing.

“Early this morning (Wednesday), some soldiers of the Special Task Force, STF stormed the village without notice; we were embarrassed and felt under siege. The soldiers came to ransack our village without informing even our community and youth leaders, we don’t even know what they are searching for and they came in company of some Fulani people who were pointing at the houses to raid, they just burst into any house and started searching. At the end of the so-called search, they did not tell us if they found anything.”

Explaining the situation, the Chairman of the local government area, Mr. Emmanuel Loman told Vanguard the STF should be called to order for the impunity their personnel are perpetrating in the area.

According to him, “Some Fulani went to rear cows at the backyard of some Berom and a disagreement ensued which led to loss of lives on both sides. STF later claimed that some of their members were killed and they came with 10 Hilux vans and Armoured Personnel Carrier, breaking people’s houses and causing confusion.

“I don’t know what to make of this because the STF members came in company with Fulani and the bodies of soldiers allegedly killed could not be produced.”

However, Leaders of the Fulani herdsmen in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Muhammed Adams said, “Some of our boys went for grazing with cows on Tuesday evening, while grazing some armed men suspected to be Berom youths shot our cows and killed 8 cows.

“Apart from shooting our cows the herdsmen grazing the cows were killed, we have found one body of the herdsmen, but the other five are still missing.”

Reacting to the situation, the STF Media and Information officer, Captain Ikedichi Iweha , “We did not go to the village for nothing, it all started last Tuesday evening, at about 4:30pm, about 400 cows were rustled in Foron, we followed up the report and recovered the cows.

“Apart from the cows rustled, 8 cows were shot, six of the cows died, the other two were injured. In addition to that, the herdsmen who were grazing the cows could not be found, so early morning of yesterday; we went to the village to search for the missing herdsmen. We later found one body of the missing herdsmen; we are still in search of five missing Fulani herdsmen up till this moment.

“But while our men were conducting the search, some Berom youths re-group and attacked men of the STF, they shot three soldiers who are on peace keeping mission. Two of the men shot are in critical condition, but the other one is stable.”