The Nigerian military has provided explanations as to why troops could not stop the coordinated attacks on Plateau communities which led to the killing of over 200 people.
Addressing journalists on the activities of troops across the country in 2023, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen Buba Edward, said that the Bokkos and Barkin Ladi areas of Plateau State spanned about 2,315 square kilometres with over 350 villages, mostly dispersed.
He noted that while troops had intervened in other communities, the damage was done before they arrived Bakkos and Barkin Ladi.
“The distance between some of these villages and troops’ locations is over 90 kilometres and sometimes difficult to access because of the rugged terrain which is mostly inaccessible to vehicles. Thus, affecting the reaction time to incidents, except when there is credible intelligence before the attack,” Edward said on Friday, December 29.
“On the night of 23 December 2023, over 100 marauding armed militant herders suspected to be mercenaries, carried out a series of unprovoked attacks from multiple fronts on Kambarpeli village in the Bokkos LGA of Plateau State while the locals were asleep. The militants unleashed mayhem on the villagers before the arrival of troops to the location.
“Similarly, on 24 December 2023, at about 1900 hrs, troops received a total of 36 distress calls from diverse locations simultaneously.
“The distress calls reported a series of coordinated attacks by armed militant herders on isolated villages in Bokkos and part of Barkin Ladi LGAs of Plateau State.
“Troops responded to the calls and were able to intervene in 19 villages forcing the militants to withdraw. Unfortunately, the havoc had been committed before troops arrived at the other villages,“ he noted.
In response to the letters notifying residents of a potential attack, Buba vowed that such an incident would never occur again in the state.
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He said: “Attacks on Plateau will never repeat itself. We have put modalities in place to ensure that whatever limited us the last time that did not allow us to get to some of these locations on time has been eliminated. We are aware of the letters and we are doing something. We are seriously going after those who perpetrated the crime.”
