Some inhabitants of Plateau’s Mangu community have accused the state’s own security force, Operation Rainbow, of extrajudicial executions in the region.
Residents accused Operation Rainbow of directing a crowd “to either kill them or burn down their houses,” and said that the deaths and attacks continued on Wednesday morning.
Salisu Mu’azu, one of the locals, claimed that militants from Operation Rainbow assaulted their hamlet about 9:30, shooting and burning houses.
“The Operation Rainbow will lead the gunmen. The approach you as if they’re patrolling but that is not true. We are in serious problem,” he told DailyTrust on Wednesday.
Ibrahim Isa, a resident of Anguwan Femawa, accused Operation Rainbow and the crowd of invading his town.
“There is lawlessness now in Mangu. Everywhere killings and gunshots. We don’t know how many people have died,” Isa said.
“We have not been able to bury the corpses we have on on ground because of the situation. Now we are recording more deaths.”
Musa Salisu, a Hayi village member in Mangu, also expressed concern over Operation Rainbow’s actions in his region.
He said: “We are begging the Federal Government to come to our aid. We are being killed, our houses are being burnt. Where is the security in Mangu? Is Operation Rainbow the only force we have to tackle this problem? Personnel of the Operation are only killing us instead of restoring peace.”
The allegation was denied by Panam Gongden, the Public Relations Officer of the organization.
His words: “Operation Rainbow belongs to everyone and it compromises of conventional police , immigration, Civil Defense and other security agencies. We wonder how some people will be accusing us of taking side.
“The dispatch of personnel is not done base on ethnicity or religion. It is a joined patrol. It is just baseless. People who have lost touch with what they are sent to do will definitely make such accusations.”Agen
