Taye Obateru
3 January 2009
The joint military team deployed to maintain peace in the Plateau State capital on Thursday night arrested 26 suspected mercenaries in fake police uniforms with assorted arms and ammunition.
Parading the suspects to newsmen yesterday at the Police Headquarters, Commander of the joint military operation, Lt. Col. Ufoma Macaulay said the suspects were arrested at UTC Junction during the curfew period.
He said they drove in two vehicles, their leader in a Toyota Camry car while others were in a Toyota Hiace bus without registration number but marked Legislative Council, Okene LG.
He said upon a search, assorted guns and magazines, army and police uniforms, fake police and army identity cards, charms, cutlasses, and other dangerous weapons were found in the vehicles following which they were arrested.
The assorted arms and ammunition and other things found on the suspects were displayed for journalists to see.
Lt. Col. Macaulay who is also the Garrison Commander of the Three Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, Rukuba, Jos said the suspects were wearing anti_riot police uniforms at the time of their arrest.
He said they were being handed over to the police for further investigations. However, journalists were not allowed to interview the suspects.
It would be recalled that allegations of use of mercenaries and fake soldiers and policemen were rife during the recent crisis in the state.
The fake policemen and soldiers were alleged to have killed a lot of innocent people who ran to them for safety during the crisis.
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