Herders kill three STF personnel in Plateau

The Special Task Force (STF) in Plateau has lost three of its personnel in the conflict between herders and natives of Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Confirming the incident, yesterday, in Jos, the Special Task Force Commander, Major General Augustine Chris Agundu said the incident that took the lives of three STF personnel was regrettable and vowed to bring the culprits to book.

He said: “I have lost three men. They were killed in action as a result of this cycle of violence that has resurfaced. The worst of it is that the proliferation of arms in Plateau is out of magnitude.

“I have locked down Barkin-Ladi. This act will never repeat itself.

We have made efforts to reconcile the factions, but they have remained adamant. My troops have resolved to end the ongoing hostilities in Ryiom, Barkin-Ladi and Bassa LGAs.

“The message I am sending to all levels of leadership is to call their youths to order, so that the ordinary man and woman in the community could live peacefully.

We are determined to return Plateau to its slogan of ‘Home of Peace and Tourism.’”

Violence has been renewed in some communities in the state, as gunmen believed to be herdsmen have reportedly killed about 20 people in a series of attacks in the state’s north in the past week.