Taraba: Military denies withdrawing troop

Military authorities have faulted the report that soldiers deployed to troubled spots in Taraba state had been pulled out following rumours of an impending attack.

The Taraba state government had on Saturday alleged that soldiers deployed to trouble spots in the state had been unceremoniously withdrawn at the early hours of Saturday.

The spokesperson to the state governor, Bala Dan-Abu, in a statement on Saturday, April 14, described the said withdrawal of troops from operations as unceremonious.

“The surprise is that no reason was given for the withdrawal and government was not aware. At the moment the reason for the withdrawal of the soldiers is not known to us,” the statement said.

The chairman of Donga local government area, Nashuka Ipeyen, said that the soldiers were withdrawn around 1am on Saturday, April 14.

He said: “I complained to him over the withdrawal of soldiers because we received information that some villages were going to be attacked, but he told me he can’t risk the lives of his soldiers.

“The Commanding Officer insisted that he was withdrawing the soldiers until the state government should write an undertaking that they will take responsibility if any of the soldiers is attacked or killed.

“I don’t know why the state government would have to do that for the soldiers when the attackers are killing civilians on a daily basis.

But the military, through the Assistant Director, Army public Relations, 23 Brigade Yola, Maj Kamarudeen Adegoke, insisted that the soldiers were still on ground contrary to claims by the state government.

“All our men are still stationed at their various duty posts. I don’t know where the state government has gotten their information that troops have been withdrawn, but what I can confirm to you is that our men are fully on the ground,” he said.
Meanwhile, the alleged masterminds of the killings in Taraba state have been arrested by the Nigerian Army.

The Director of Army Public Relations, Brig Gen Texas Chukwu, in a statement released on Saturday said two persons connected with killings in Taraba state had been caught by troops involved in a military operation in the area.

Chukwu said investigation revealed that the two suspects were key players in the killings and uprising in the two local government areas of the state.