Nigerian military authorities have claimed that Senator Gyang Datong as well as the Majority Leader of the Plateau State Assembly, James Gyang Fulani, slumped and died yesterday – and not from gunshots as widely reported by international and local media, including the BBC and SaharaReporters.
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Nigerian military authorities have claimed that Senator Gyang Datong as well as the Majority Leader of the Plateau State Assembly, James Gyang Fulani, slumped and died yesterday – and not from gunshots as widely reported by international and local media, including the BBC and SaharaReporters.
Major General Henry Ayoola, commander of the STF, made the claim at a midnight briefing in Jos, capital of Plateau State. The briefing was held amid tight security at the task force’s headquarters.
General Ayoola also stated that Simon Mwapkon, a member of the House of Representatives who also reportedly slumped, has been discharged from hospital.
Mr. Ayoola said, “At about 2.00 p.m. during the burial of the deceased persons of Maseh Village, there was sporadic shooting from the range of the hills surrounding the area which led to a stampede, in the course of which three honorable legislators slumped and were rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, Senator Gyang Dantong (Plateau North Senatorial District) and Hon James Gyang Fulani of the Plateau State House of Assembly died, while Hon Simon Mwapkon of the Federal House of Representatives survived and has been discharged.”
At the time of this report, the Chief of Defense Staff, and Inspector General of Police are said to be on their way to Plateau State for on the spot assessment of the security situation in the state.
Several independent sources had told SaharaReporters that Senator Dantong and Mr. Fulani were gunned down yesterday by unidentified assailants as they attended a funeral for more than twenty victims of a carnage carried out a day before by a large contingent of armed attackers.
Contacted to react to General Ayoola’s statement, one security source said it was curious that Nigeria’s military authorities want to blame the two lawmakers’ deaths on slumping. He added, “If the two men slumped and died, then why did President Jonathan say in his statement that Senator Dantong was killed? And why did the president order the police to fish out the senator’s killers?” The source described the task force’s statement as “a puerile attempt to cover up their inability to protect the lives and property of our people,” adding that the task force has now been exposed as incapable of protecting even top politicians in the country.
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