Military denies clash with police in Plateau, says troops met resistance
- Operation Enduring Peace says its troops and police did not clash in Bassa, Plateau State.
- Its media officer, Capt. Polycarp Oteh, said troops went after a distress call on October 20.
- He said some police personnel refused to cooperate with the troops on arrival.
The military task force in Plateau State has denied reports that its soldiers clashed with police officers in Bassa Local Government Area, saying the encounter has been wrongly described.
The Special Task Force Operation Enduring Peace spoke after videos and photos of an alleged face-off between soldiers and police went viral on social media in recent days. Some posts claimed soldiers stopped police from going after criminals in the area.
In a statement issued in Jos on Monday, the task force's media officer, Capt. Polycarp Oteh, gave the military's account of what happened.
What the military says happened
Oteh said that on October 20, troops of Sector 3 responded to a distress call about sporadic gunfire in Mai Farin Moto, Maraban Dere and nearby communities. The call also reported the suspected killing of a resident, Adamu Suleiman.
He said the troops were sent to assess the security situation, establish what happened, stop the violence from spreading and protect lives and property.
On arrival, according to Oteh, the soldiers tried to engage the police officers working in the area so both agencies could respond together. He said that effort ran into a lack of cooperation from some personnel, despite attempts to calm tensions.
Regrettably, the interaction was characterised by a lack of cooperation from some personnel, Oteh said.
He insisted the troops acted in the public interest and on the strength of the distress call.
Why it matters to residents
Bassa and other parts of Plateau have seen repeated attacks and killings in recent years, and residents depend on both the army and the police to respond quickly when trouble starts. When the two agencies fail to work together, help can arrive late and communities are left more exposed.
Oteh said the task force remains committed to impartiality and professionalism, and that its work depends on coordination, mutual respect and unity of effort among security agencies.
He said issues from the incident are being handled through command and inter-agency channels to establish the facts and prevent a repeat.
The military also urged the public and journalists to verify information before publishing it, and assured Plateau residents that it will keep working to maintain peace and security.
What happens next
The facts of the October 20 incident are now before the commanders of both agencies. Residents will be watching to see whether the two forces issue a joint account and whether patrols in Bassa continue without friction.
