Nigerian army implicated in attacks on villages in Jos

Members of the Nigerian Army have been implicated in an attack on a village in Plateau state, reports Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).

On January 23, two men, one woman and a baby were killed in an attack in Farin Lamba. Villagers reported that the attackers wore military uniforms.

The villagers shot one of the attackers in the arm; he reportedly turned out to be a solider from a nearby security post. They pursued the men, who fled in a military vehicle. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the soldiers belong to a team led by Captain Zakari. The army has refused to comment on the allegations.

The latest attack follows the controversial introduction of a shoot-to-kill policy by the Nigerian army, reported BBC News.

On January 18, Military spokesman Captain Charles Ekeocha told the BBC that soldiers had been given permission to shoot-to-kill to retain order in Jos following outbreaks of violence over the Christmas period and the alleged murder of an election official at a polling station in Tina Junction on January 17.  However, continuing discrepancies in reports of this incident, coupled with persistent allegations of military complicity in violence, have forced a reappraisal of the policy.

You can read the full report here.