Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba
Security agencies Tuesday confirmed 46 police officers and men as well as 10 operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) killed in the May 7 attack in Nasarawa State by members of the Ombatse cult. The official casualty figure was disclosed Tuesday at a press briefing in Abuja by the Joint Security Information Forum on the security situation in the country.
Present at the news briefing, which held at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), were officials of the army, navy, air force, DHQ, the police and the SSS. Concerned about the spate of killings of security agents, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has called on the federal government to take urgent steps to stop their senseless killings by bands of militiamen in various parts of the country.
However, to assist the federal government in apprehending the masterminds and killers of the security agents, an umbrella body of the Eggon people of Nasarawa State and the Former Lafia Division Elders’ Consultative Forum (FLDECF), have called on their kinsmen to cooperate with security agencies to fish out those behind the killing in Alakyo.
At the news conference on the Nasarawa killings Tuesday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), said of the 46 officers and policemen killed, 32 bodies had been released to their families for burial.
Also, SSS Director of Public Relations, Mrs Marilyn Ogar, confirmed that 10 operatives who were part of the operation were killed and only four bodies had been recovered so far.
She explained the civil nature of the operation deceived the officers into underestimating the strength of the Ombatse cultists, who have never had a history of armed rebellion against the state unlike members of Boko Haram.
She said: “It was a clear case of threat to the peace and security of the state by this cult group called Ombatse but the nature of the operation deceived us.
“It was a purely civil operation but it was misconstrued as the case was not like what we had in Baga, Bama or the issues in Borno.
“This number of operatives was sent not because it was a war situation but because of the need for a quick and effective cordoning-off and search operation.
“The security agents also exercised restraint and employed limited use of force since it was thought to be a civil operation.”
However, the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade, assured Nigerians that the challenges facing the security agencies in the discharge of their duties have not deterred their commitment to their responsibility of safeguarding the nation, its people and interests from threats.
Olukolade said despite the enormity of the issues, the troops and operatives would remain conscious of the fact that they were not at war with the citizens.
The security agencies however blamed their inability to arrest those making inflammatory statements on the need to respect civil rule and the rule of law.
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