From: Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo

Taraba State Commissioner for Police, Mr. Yunana Babas, has dispelled tumour making the rounds that arms and ammunition were been ferried to groups on the troubled Mambilla Plateau as relief materials.

Babas stated this, in Jalingo, on Monday, during a press briefing to give update on the crisis that ravaged parts of Sardauna Local Government Area of the state.

He said the rumours were been peddled by mischief-makers and urged the public to disregard such rumours.

He explained that the truck loads of relief materials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) were subjected to checks by security operatives in Jalingo and Serti, and they were escorted by security personnel to the point of distribution.

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Hence, there could not be any arms concealed without the personnel discovering them.

“There are allegations that arms are been concealed in relief materials. I make bold to say that this should be dispelled in the minds of the people as they are baseless”.

While denying allegations of more attacks in the area, Babas disclosed that there was “massive deployment of both covert and overt security persons to the area to ensure that normalcy returned to the area and the likelihood of reprisal attacks is taken out completely.” He urged those bent on fomenting trouble in the state under any disguise to desist as the arm of the law would not spare anyone irrespective of his standing in the society.

The NEMA had released eight truck loads of relief materials for the displaced persons affected by the crisis that broke out on the Mambilla Plateau mid last month leading to the death of several persons.

However, the social media was awash with allegations that arms and ammunitions were been ferried in the relief materials for a section of the warring factions, with close relations to some persons at the presidency.