LARGE CACHE OF WEAPONS SEIZED IN JOS

JOS, PLATEAU, June 02, (THEWILL) - A large cache of arms including several automatic riffles has been seized from local militias by men of the special task force, STF, maintaining security in Plateau state.

The arms were seized from some of the suspects arrested in connection with the killing of three Fulani herdsmen in Tusun village of Barkin Ladi local government of the state about a fortnight ago.

Three Fulani herdsmen in company of some soldiers had gone in search of their missing cattle at Tusung village of Barki Ladi local government of the state when they were waylaid by the local militias in that village and killed. Their bodies were later discovered buried in some shallow graves and exhumed and handed over to the Muslim community in Jos for burial.

The STF spokesperson, Lt. Col. Kingsley Umoh said the task force suspects that the weapons recovered from the villagers hidden in farms and bushes might have been used to attack the three Fulani herdsmen and the soldiers that escorted them to recover their cattle.

"A large cache of weapons, arms and ammunition including automatic weapons were recovered in Tusung, most of the weapons have between that time†and now been moved out of the residences and were hidden in farms and buried in different places around the community" he stated.

Those arrested in connection with the attack include one Pastor Musa Davou, a serving councillor in the local government†and 22 other persons arrested at different times.

According to the STF spokesman, the arrest and discovery of the weapons was as a result of†series of investigations that have been†going on since the†killings in Tusung.

He condemned the incident saying it is capable of taking the peace process in the state several steps backward.

Meanwhile the plateau state government also condemned the killings saying those responsible should be prosecuted.

The state's commissioner for information, Gregory Yenlong, urged the people not to take the laws into their hands as the government is trying to find lasting peace in the state.