Renewed Jos crisis: Arrested suspects name sponsors

Details: Category: Politics; Published on Friday, 19 March 2010 14:42; Written by Admin; Hits: 1651

Following another invasion of Fulani herdsmen in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, on Monday, leading to the death of 13 people, the new Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police Zone 4, Mr. Donald Iroham, has relocated to Jos and declared that those arrested had made confessional statements about their sponsors.

jos3 Speaking with newsmen in Jos, on Thursday, the AIG, who stated that he was in the state to complement the security arrangement on the ground, added that the names of the sponsors had been sent to the appropriate authority for necessary action.

Mr Iroham stated that the seven arrested in connection with killing in Riyom Local Government on Monday were under intensive interrogation and assured the people of the state that as soon as the police concluded their investigations, all those arrested would be charged to court.

On the 44 people arrested last week, the AIG stated that investigation carried out on them revealed that they were migrant labourers on transit from Port Harcourt to Kano for seasonal farming, adding that all the implement found on them were their tools.

To arrest the carnage, Mr. Iroham stated that more men would be drafted to the state especially the crisis ridden parts to arrest the unfortunate situation on the ground, adding the police headquarters had also released 10 Hilux vehicles for smooth operation of the command in addition to an helicopter .

According to him, the helicopter would enable the police to comb and enter the interior parts of the state and fish out the marauders fomenting trouble, adding that the police were determined more than before to stem the ugly trend in the state.

“Enough is enough, we will no longer tolerate this brigandage and unnecessary shed of blood both in this state and in any part of the country. We are more than ready to restore normalcy to Plateau State, ” he warned.

He, however, declared that the police would reward any person or group who offered useful information on the whereabouts of those fomenting trouble in the state and their plans.