Two
persons were said to have been shot dead after some soldiers clashed
with some youths in Sopp village, in Riyom Local Government Area of
Plateau State.
It was gathered that the youths were
protesting against alleged poisoning of a 32-year-old during an air raid
by members of the military Special Task Force, code-named Operation
Safe Haven (OPSH), leading to the death of two persons.
Also, the
corpses of those who died in the well had been deposited in a
mortuary,while those injured during the protest were said to be
receiving treatment in a hospital.
The spokesperson for the OPSH, Captain Umar Adams confirmed the death of the two persons.
Adams, however, denied that the well was poisoned.
He
said, “There is an old well in the community that was constructed in
1985 but was abandoned for many years. Apart from the fact that we carry
out security activities to ensure that we avert crisis and promote
unity, we sometimes carry out social responsibilities.
“Our troops
in Riyom said, ‘This well has been left to waste. Why don’t we revive
it so that at least everybody can benefit?’ That was why our troops
decided to look for well drillers. Two young men volunteered and said
they could do it because that was their job.
“I cannot tell how
those boys got inside the well with their working tools. The debris that
had accumulated inside the well, I guess, led to their death. They may
have choked to death.
“The youths mobilised in hundreds and
started a violent protest against our troops, alleging that our soldiers
killed their people, to the extent that they started damaging the
accommodation of our troops. Even the equipment in their rooms,
including television sets and generators, were scattered and damaged,”
said Adams.
The captain said the two persons were shot for attempting to snatch rifles from soldiers during the protest.
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