Photo News: Another person killed in Barkin Ladi by STF following Protest (Viewers Discretion Advised)

Following ViewPointNigeria’s report on the protest that occurred in Barkin Ladi today, where hundreds of women protested the killing of an Operation Rainbow personnel (Chollom Pam) –ViewPointNigeria met up with the Chairman of Barkin Ladi LGA (Dr. Emmanuel Loman) for a brief interview on the matter.

Loman confirmed that the protest was organised by community leaders because of the mayhem which is consistently metted out to the community by men of the STF. He said “These men of the STF make a habit of molesting, harassing and killing our citizens over trivial matters –we are getting increasingly worried about their modus operandi in our community.

Speaking about what caused the incident, he said yesterday night, the now deceased member of Operations Rainbow (Chollom Pam) and several other councillors were returning from supervising the recent voters registration exercise in Kurra falls, when they were stopped by men of the STF. The men of the STF then started harassing the councillors, asking them all sorts of ridiculous questions –at which point, Chollom Pam (who was killed) intervened, telling the STF officials that he was an Operations Rainbow personnel and that he was accompanying the councillors, having finished the voters registration in Kurra falls. Chollom Pam then retorted to the STF personnel that the councillors were representatives of the people and therefore deserved respect and not harrassment –at that point, a member of the STF pulled out a knife and without provocation stabbed Chollom Pam in the neck –making him bleed uncontrollably. All efforts to rush him to the hospital proved abortive, leading to his untimely demise.

On hearing about the development, the community then organised themselves for a peaceful protest to the STF station. In the process, the entire Mangu-Barkin Ladi road was shut in both directions, leading to massive traffic.

As the protest gathered momentum, men of the STF got increasing agitated by the youth who were protesting. And at a point, one of the STF personnel drew his gun and fired at the youths –the bullet hit one of youth Gyang Maisaje in the buttocks killing him, while another youth Benjamin Samba (was hit in the chest), but luckily he survived.

This is one of many occurrence where STF personnel have continually decimated the populations which they have been tasked to protect. Many residents who spoke to ViewPointNigeria have said that the STF have become a menace to the communities and do not serve any purpose. Mothers in Barkin Ladi, who spoke to our correspondent, complained that their daughters have become preys for the randy soldiers who perpetually inpregnate them or infect them with disease. They also complained that, even though these so called soldiers have been stationed in the area, Barkin Ladi has remained perpertually under attack.