Plateau killings: Military Relocates STF HQ to Barkin Ladi; Arrest 4 Assailants of Early Sunday Attack in Maraban Kantoma.

The Special Security Task force (STF) established to maintain law and order in Plateau State, ‘Operation Safe Haven (OPSH)’, has relocated its headquarters from Jos to Barkin Ladi, the epicenter of renewed security challenges in the state.

The relocation followed an early morning attack on Sunday which led to the killing of four persons at Mararaban Kantoma in Barkin Ladi despite increased security presence.

Before Sunday’s relocation, the STF headquarters was stationed in Jos with several sector commands and Forward Operation Basses (FOB) in all parts of the state.

Sector 7 which was formally in charge of Barkin Ladi has FOB Gashish and a Strike Force Base in Gashish, where last Saturday’s attack claimed over 200 lives.

The taskforce which comprises of the Nigerian Army, Navy, Airforce, DSS, the Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), said it received a distress call on the Mararaban Kantoma attack at 3am and that 4 of the assailants had been arrested while others escaped with various degrees of injuries.

A statement issued by the taskforce and signed by its Media and Information Officer, Major Adams Umar said on Sunday that OPSH Commander, Major General Anthony Atolagbe had relocated the headquarters of the Operation to Barkin Ladi.

The statement disclosed that the commander relocated with all the principal officers and would be coordinating the day today activities of the operation from the new operational headquarters in Barkin Ladi.

“We therefore use this opportunity to warn any criminal making or planning to make life miserable for innocent citizens to desist from the act and leave Plateau state henceforth.

“We are committed to invoking the full wrath of the law on the bandits and their sponsors,” the statement added.

It urged all citizens especially residents of Barkin Ladi to have faith in the operation and report suspicious activities and movements of people around their environment.

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