Men of the Nigeria Police have apprehended 17 suspects in connection with the Christmas Eve attacks in Bokkos and Barikin Ladi and those of the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.
 While parading the suspects at the headquarters of the state command, Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 4, Ebony Eyibio, represented by the spokesman of the command, DSP Alabo Alfred, stated that nine of the suspects were arrested in relation to the Mangu violence and eight others were nabbed in connection to the Bokkos and Barikin Ladi attacks. However, the police did not reveal the identity of the suspects.
Meantime, Muslim community in Mangu LGA of Plateau state, on Thursday, said they had buried 16 victims of the latest crisis that happened in the area between Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 January 2024.
According to the local government Chairman and leader of the First Aid Group of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI-Aid Group), Malam Jafaru Musa, who stated that the funeral prayer took place at Mangu Central Mosque amid tight security, added that the deceased were laid to rest at the Hayin Layir graveyard.
“We have recovered 16 dead bodies, including a new born baby. We have been able to bury them today (Thursday).We gave them mass burial and we pray Allah to grant them His Rahama.”
“A lot of people have been displaced and are in dire need of humanitarian support. They need food, water, medicine, clothes, blankets, mats and mattresses. There is relative peace in Mangu because we are seeing security personnel going round.” He added.
In the same vain, the chairman, of the Nigerian Red Cross Plateau state chapter, Nurudeen Husaini Magaji, said that the Red Cross has set up three Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), camps, in Mangu town, while several other persons had fled to neighboring communities in Bauchi State for refuge.
Recall that Mangu LGA of Plateau State came under attack on Monday 22 2024 following an unrest reported to have been triggered by an altercation between a herder and a resident of the area where the resident lost his life in the act. However despite a 24-hour curfew imposed by the state governor Caleb Mutfwang, killings had continued unhindered on Tuesday 23 January leaving dozens of persons dead and houses burnt.
Reacting to allegations of being biased in restoring peace and order between warring parties in the area, the Defence Headquarters on Thursday 25 January dismissed the allegations of taking sides in their operations in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The DHQ reacted to the allegation made by the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Mangu, Rev. Timothy Daluk, who in a viral video, claimed that the soldiers deployed to the area were biased in their operations by allowing Muslims to burn houses belonging to Christian residents in the area.
Meanwhile, a statement by the Acting Director, Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, described the statement by the CAN Chairman as malicious and unfounded.
