Adamawa town residents flee after killing of four policemen

The Adamawa State Police Command has confirmed the death of four of its men in a clash with gunmen in Numan Local Government Area.
The command’s spokesman, SP Othman Abubakar, who confirmed the incident to News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Yola, said the four policemen killed were not of the Mobile Police Squadron, but from Numan Police Divisional Headquarters, who were on patrol.
Abubakar said the identity of the gunmen was yet to be ascertained.
He said contrary to speculation by the public that the killing was by Fulani militia on reprisal, the command was still investigating the incident and had further boosted security in the area with support from the military.
He said: “We don’t want to work on speculations and I want to urge the public and media to shun rumour mongers and speculations that would further raise tension in Numan and its environs.”
Abubakar, however, confirmed that the speculations of reprisal has resulted in some residents of Numan and its environs moving to Yola, the state capital, and other places they considered safe.
Some residents of Numan, the third largest town in Adamawa State, told NAN that the town was now deserted with shops and markets closed.
A resident, who simply identified himself as Ibrahim, said: “The markets and shops are closed as people remain in their houses, while others are leaving the town because of rumours of impending reprisal attack.
“The tension was further heightened with the report that some policemen were killed by the attackers who attempted to enter Numan in the night.”
Two weeks ago about 50 people, mostly women and children, were killed in Numan area by gunmen alleged to be Bachama militia.
The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who visited Adamawa State over the incident last Tuesday, directed the deployment of five units of MPS to the contain tension and further attacks in the area.
Meanwhile, the Adamawa State chapters of the Muslim Council and Christian Association of Nigeria have condemned the killings and called for the arrest of the perpetrators.
The religious groups also called for the setting up of a panel of inquiry over the incident.