The Special Task Force known as Operation Safe Haven has set up a strike force to return Internally Displaced Persons in Plateau to their ancestral homes.
Brig.-Gen. John Agim, the Director, Defence Information, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Jos at a news conference.
Agim said that the development was jointly carried out between Operation Safe Haven and Operation 777 which was set up in October to restructure existing operations across the country.
He added that the forward operation bases of the strike force would be situated at strategic locations to dominate the general area to give confidence to the inhabitants to return.
He noted that “headquarters of OPSH had earlier set up a committee in which some civilians assessed the extent of destruction in deserted villages.
He said: “The commitee was also to assess the possibility of establishing strike force bases as prelude to encouraging IDPs to return to their ancestral homes.
“The committee undertook painstaking tour of 40 villages in which their findings were categorised into three.”
He listed the categories to include villages that were abandoned out of fear of insecurity, villages that were attacked with some houses partially destroyed and villages that were attacked and the houses completely destroyed.
Maj.-Gen. Augustine Agundu, the OPSH Commander, assured that the people in first category would be assisted to return to their homes before December 24.
Agundu stated that returning the other categories to their homes would require more efforts and collaboration with government and others to help them to rebuild their homes.
The commander, however, gave March next year as the return date for other categories.
He expressed optimism to succeed in the assignment, adding that the displaced persons were willing and ready to return to their homes.
Agundu named seven villges in the first category to include Hei, Burdinga, Kazok, Kuzen, Razat, Zat & Bet and Mararaba Kantoma.
The commander added that the two other categories have a total of 24 villages and listed some of them as: Kabong, Kedewan, Rantis, Dogo, Ngio, Kufang, Mase, Nicha and Kaching all in Gashish district.
Some others were Kasha Shonong, Zere Shonong, Najahal, Angwan Sarki, Pwabiduk, Ruku, King and Zombies.
He said that the conduct of Operation 777 in OPSH led to the neutralisation of 10 criminals.
He listed the crimes ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping, cattle rustling, banditry, child trafficking, drug peddling, murder, gun runners and cultism.
A total of 26 suspects were paraded, where investigation was ongoing.
Among those paraded was an 11-year-old cultist who confessed killing one person and was brought to Jos from Lagos to carry out special assignment.