The Conflict Management and Mitigation Regional Council in Benue State has commiserated with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) over the murder of SP Mamud Abubakar, the DPO of Gwer West Local Government Area.
The condolence message was contained in a statement signed by the council’s Co-Chairmen, Mrs Rachel Ityonzughul and Alhaji Ahmed Baba, on Friday in Makurdi.
Abubakar was killed by bandits on Tuesday on Naka-Makurdi road when he responded to a distress call.
They sympathised with the families of the DPO and others who lost their loved ones due to various conflicts in the state.
The officials said that the council was committed to peace building in the state and decried recourse to violence in situations where issues could be resolved amicably through dialogue.
They appealed to the people of Benue to remain calm, avoid violence and allow law enforcement agencies to handle any breach of the peace in any part of the state.
Meanwhile, the Police Command in Katsina State has confirmed the death of 41 members of local vigilance groups, popularly known as “Yansakai”, in an ambush by terrorists in Yargoje forest.
This is contained in a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Gambo Isah, on Friday in Katsina.
“On Wednesday, February 1, 2023 at about 22:00 hours, terrorists in their numbers, shooting sporadically with AK 47 rifles, attacked the house of one Alhaji Muntari at Unguwar Audu Gare, Kandarawa, Bakori Local Government, and rustled 50 cows and 30 sheep.
“Subsequently, on February 2, at about 10:00 hours, Yansakai groups from 11 villages in Bakori local government regrouped and went after the terrorists with a view to recover the rustled. animals.
“They traced the footpaths of the hoodlums to a location at Yargoje forest, unfortunately, the terrorists planned and launched a coordinated ambush on the Yansakai.
“The hoodlums shot and killed 41 Yansakai and wounded two others,” he said.
Isah said that the Area Commander in Malumfashi, led a team of policemen to the scene and evacuated the corpses and injured persons to Kankara General Hospital.
The command spokesman said that a joint security operation was ongoing to arrest the culprits and bring them to book.
