Ombatse Gunmen Attack Nasarawa Presidential Lodge

Gunmen on Sunday attacked the Nasarawa State presidential lodge shooting sporadically.
The incident happened while collation of results for the gubernatorial elections was ongoing at the state Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters, Lafia.
The gunmen were suspected to be members of the Ombatse militia group which is accused of killing 86 security operatives in Alakyo Village of Nasarawa State in 2013.
The group’s legal adviser, Zamani Allumaga, joined the All Progressives Congress, APC, last week and claimed that they were deceived into war by their political leaders for selfish reasons.
Meanwhile, one of the suspects was beaten by youth after he was caught by security operatives who arrived the scene of the incident.
Although the mission of the suspected gunmen is unknown, it is believed that the target may be the state governor, Tanko Al-Makura, who usually held unofficial engagements at the lodge, especially during the electioneering period.
Witnesses told PREMIUM TIMES that the suspects came in a brown Volkswagen Golf´car and shot into the presidential lodge from 50 meters away, close to the state headquarters of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
A resident of the area, Ibrahim Kasimu, said that the gunmen wore black bands and alighted from the car while the driver waited.
“They (gunmen) wore black bands on their heads like Ombatse, shot at the roof of the presidential lodge three times, which prompted the security agents at the lodge to swoop into action and arrested three of them and one of them was beaten to a pulp,” Mr. Kasimu said.
The state police spokesperson, Ismaila Numan, who confirmed the incident, said two of the suspects were arrested while the third was critically injured by youth and has been rushed to the hospital.