STF Debunks Rumor Of Planned Attack In Plateau

STFThe Special Task Force (STF) in Plateau State has debunked rumors of a planned attackĀ on the state.

A report by the state-owned broadcast station on Monday, claimed that a helicopter and 13 Toyota Hilux vans carrying arms and ammunition have arrived Mahanga, a predominant Fulani community in Riyom Local Government Area, in readiness for an attack on some Plateau communities.

But the STF and the leadership of Mahanga, dismissed the report as false.

Both the STF Commander in the state, Major General David Eniete and chairman of Riyom chapter of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), Isa Abdullahi, said the story was a rumour peddled by ā€œpeople with no stated motiveā€.

The STF commander, who led other officials of the force and journalists on a fact-finding visit to Mahanga, said: ā€œWe decided to travel this rough terrain so that you could see for yourself that nothing of what was reported happened. The people of this community themselves will tell you. Rumours of this kind have been peddled in the past, but I felt compelled to respond to this one. The story of 13 Hilux vans and one helicopter bringing arms here is false and should be discountenanced. There were stories in the past of the existence of training camps in this place and some other parts of the state, but they are all false. In any case, troops of the STF are in place all over Mahanga and the rest of PlateauĀ to contain any attackā€.

Speaking for the people of Mahanga, Abdullahi said the story was false.

On whether there was any recent incident that could have led to the rumor, Abdullahi said some persons killed 12 cows belonging to people of the area last Sunday, but that rather than retaliating, the community reported the matter to officials of theĀ  STF, who, he said, retrieved some of the dead cows.

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