Four soldiers of the Special Task Force (STF) on Jos crisis, code named “Operation Safe Haven” were on Monday killed by gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect.
The slain soldiers were reportedly killed in an ambush in Gida-Bua village in Jos South Local Government of Plateau State. The village is over 300 kilometre away from Jos, the state capital.
The Chairman of Langtang South Council, Bendel Nancwat, who could not confirm the killings to newsmen when he was asked, said: “I just got the report but I have not gone there to confirm it.”
Nancwat added: “Any confirmation of such report should be channelled to the STF headquarters in Jos, I am not in the position to confirm it.”
A source from the village, who gave his name as Dadul Gabriel, said: “The STF people were patrolling the village in their military vehicle. We saw them pass the village. Not quite 10 minutes we heard heavy gun shots rapidly. We thought it was the soldiers that have shot at some gunmen, but when we rushed there, we saw the bodies of the soldiers on ground. Their colleagues told us it was Boko Haram that laid ambush for them.”
He said nine of the soldiers were travelling in the vehicle when the vicious gunmen struck.
STF spokesman Capt. Ikedichi Iweka could not be reached on phone to confirm the killings.
