20 policemen Killed in Nasarrawa by Boko Haram insurgents

Forty eight hours after more than twenty police men were killed in Bama, Borno State by suspected Boko Haram insurgents, Governor Tanko Al Makura of Nassarawa State disclosed yesterday that another twenty policemen were killed last Tuesday in Nassarawa state by a militia group, known as “Ombatse” at Atakio Village along the Akwanga-Lafia road. Ombatse in Eggon language means “time has come”.

Governor Al Makura who disclosed this when he came to brief the vice president on the security situation in his state said the policemen were murdered while on official duty.
A soldier stands in front of a damaged wall and the body of a prison officer killed during an attack on a prison Bama, on May 7, 2013. 14 prison wardens including a senior officer, two soldiers, 22 policemen, four civilians and 13 Boko Haram gunmen were killed in the attacks in Bama. AFP
He said the policemen were on lawful duty to dislodge the militia group when they were ambushed and killed. The governor said that the group, which had besieged the state, were bent on destabilising the State Government. “This group is causing the commotion and insecurity in order to upstage the government,” he said.

Al-Makura, who told the State House correspondents after briefing the Vice President that the State Government had a year ago dislodged the group. He expressed regrets that the group re-surfaced about a fortnight ago, unleashing mayhem and killing innocent people.

His words: “I am here to meet with the Vice President to brief him about the security situation in my state. Just yesterday, we have a very bitter security problem that has caused the death of some security officers in the state.

“Since January, this thing has not abated and in the past two weeks, it took a total different dimension. This escalated and is causing serious concern for the state. We then decided to hold security meeting to find a way of solving the problem. The solution was to go to the shrine and pick on the cult leader so that the problem will be solved once and for all. But as security operatives were approaching the shrine, unknown to them that ambush had been laid for them, these people attacked them and resulted in the death of more than 20 policemen.

-vanguard