A senior official of the State Security Service (SSS) in Plateau State, has been shot dead by suspected arms dealers.
Freelanews is withholding the name of the official who heads a department in the agency as we are not sure his family has been notified.
The official, a lawyer, was killed during a raid, on Wednesday, of the suspects’ hideouts in Shendam Local Government Area of the state.
According to an official of the service who does not want to be quoted, the service received intelligence information about some arms dealers who supply violent groups with firearms to cause mayhem in the state.
The source disclosed that the hoodlums were initially traced to Qu’anpan Local Government Area but later moved some 40 kilometres to a new location in Shendam Local Government Area.
The move to disarm the suspects resulted in a gun battle during which the top SSS official was killed.
When our correspondent contacted the director of SSS in the state, Ibrahim Nyam, on Thursday evening, he declined to comment.
The spokesperson of the police in the state, Gabriel Ogaba, promised to reach back to our reporter when an enquiry was sent but was yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
The incident of Thursday is an evidence of the worsening security situation in the state, majorly in the rural areas.
Last Thursday, gunmen also killed a police officer and a native of Malul hamlet in Daffo village of Bokkos Local Government Area of the state. The police officer was ambushed alongside the civilian identified as Sati Bulus while riding on a motorcycle.
It was also reported the gruesome murder of Bulus Janka, a traditional ruler in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area. The community leader was killed by unknown gunmen at his residence at Rasat in Foron District.
Governor Simon Lalong has ordered a hunt for the killers of the traditional ruler. He said the government through the community policing scheme would ensure that the criminals are arrested.
Also, Mr Lalong urged the citizens to intensify vigilance against criminals in the state.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
