In a very shocking revelation, the Nigerian military have been identified as a major suspect in the series of religious killings in the country, especially the recent killing in a village around Jos, Plateau State.This revelation is contained in a report by the Release International, (www.releaseinternational.org) adding that at least 13 were killed during a series of raids on remote villages in Plateau state – as religious tensions erupted into street violence in several towns.Quoting Agence France-Presse (AFP), BBC, Christian Solidarity Worldwide and others, adding that their partners have confirmed that armed attacks were made on several villages in the Barkin Ladi and Riyom areas of Plateau, central Nigeria, on Monday.It noted that the hardest hit was Wereng village in Riyom where 13 people died, mainly women and children. The BBC reports that victims bore machete and gunshot wounds.Religious rights group, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has alleged possible military collusion in the attack and that eyewitness’s account revealed that the attackers included men in military uniform.It said that that Wereng villagers had found ID papers and a bank book belonging to a member of the Joint Task Force (JTF) charged with peace-keeping in Plateau.“These attacks occurred against a backdrop of mounting tensions between Christians and Muslims in Plateau and particularly its capital, Jos. The already charged atmosphere was aggravated by bomb attacks in Christian districts of Jos on Christmas Eve,” the report stated. It also noted that at least 11 people died in clashes on the streets of the state capital last weekend and that Jos was described as a ‘ghost town’ this week as residents stayed in their homes for fear of further violence, and banks, schools and shops remained shut. “The Government has reportedly drafted in 1,500 extra police in a bid to contain the violence. CSW reports that violence spread over the weekend to other towns south of Jos such as Anglo Jos and Bukuru,” it further stated.
Jan162011