Police uncover Ombatse’s plan to attack Nasarawa communities

The Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abubakar Bello, said the police command had uncovered plans by a militant group known as Ombatse to launch attacks on the Assakio and Dandere communities in Obi Local Government Area of the state.
Bello stated this after a security meeting held at the palace of the Aren Eggon, Bala Angbazu.
The Ombatse militant group, which was indicted by the Justice Joseph Gbadeyan-led Judicial Commission of Enquiry for the killings of over 120 security operatives at Alakyo village on May 7, 2013, was also said to be responsible for the continuous destruction of lives and property in the state.
Bello said the militants had perfected plans to concurrently attack Dandere and Assakio on Saturday (today), hence his visit to the monarch.
He said, “I am here in your palace to seek for your royal support to nip the planned attacks on Dandere and Assakio villages in the bud and to also bring to your attention that some Eggon youths are planning to reintroduce Ombatse militia in the state.”
Responding, the monarch promised to support the police so as to ensure lasting peace in the state.
The monarch also asked parents in Eggon to monitor the activities of their children as he would not fail to report youths who plan to cause crisis in the community to the security operatives.
He asked his chiefs and elders to ensure that all subjects within their jurisdictions were closely monitored so as to ensure that the Ombatse militant group was not allowed to regroup.
Meanwhile, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in Nasarawa State in last year’s general elections, Mr. Labaran Maku, on Friday condemned planned attacks by the Ombatse militant group.
Maku, who addressed journalists after a meeting at the party’s secretariat in Lafia, said, “Violence in any structure, either by Ombatse, Fulani herdsmen or any other group does not bring any form of improvement to the state.
 “As an Eggon man, who is conversant with the culture, Ombatse has never been part of the Eggon culture and we never knew anything about such a group until the 2011 governorship election.”