Fulani herdsmen attack village; Story by Isa Abdulsalami, Jos
DESPITE the military presence and the curfew in force, Fulani herdsmen and men reportedly in the uniforms of the Military Task Force stole into another Jos village in the wee hours of yesterday to kill a fresh batch of victims.
Most of the victims, just like it occurred 10 days ago, were women and children. One of them was a pregnant woman with a baby strapped to her back.
All the three were killed. The woman's belly was ripped open and the foetus, the third victim, removed. All the three were also burnt.
According to the Chairman of Riyom Local Council, Mr. Simon Wadkwon, though he informed the military and the police about the attack, help came too late.
The federal authorities have been accused of encouraging a culture of impunity by failing to punish those arrested over previous killings in Jos and other northern states.
Survivors said Fulani herdsmen and some people wearing the current uniforms of the Military Task Force carried out the attack at about 1.30 a.m. yesterday.
The attack on Byei village is coming 10 days after suspected armed Fulani herdsmen attacked four villages in Jos South and Barkin Ladi local council areas in which many people, mostly women and children, were killed.
Thirteen dead bodies were physically counted, five were injured and are receiving treatment at the Vom Christian Hospital, while some people are still missing.
Three males, six females and four children were physically counted among the slain people.
Majority of the victims bore machete wounds while only one victim's stomach was pierced by a bullet. After the bullet, the attackers still went ahead to slice his head.
The Fulani attackers were very careful this time. They did not carry out much burning not to attract attention from the military. They conducted the attack violently but quietly.
Commenting on the incident, a member representing that constituency in the State House of Assembly, Mr. Emmanuel Jugu, said that "enough is enough", adding that his people had resolved that they would not observe the curfew hours.
"They said they have been law-abiding and observing the curfew, yet they would be attacked by the Fulani, even in the presence of the military. My people no longer have confidence in the military. They have told me that they would resort to defending themselves as the military cannot protect and defend them", he said.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Dan Manjang, who spoke in a similar vein, said the attack took place during curfew hours, adding that the confidence of the people in the military had been eroded. "People are saying that they no longer have confidence in the military curfew," he said.
Wadkwon said the happening yesterday was a confirmation of the people's apprehension that the Fulani had concluded plans to launch another brutal attack on them. The Commissioner of Police, Ikechukwu Aduba, was sighted there but did not go into the field where the casualties were littered. He refused to talk to journalists.
Jugu later fully granted an on-the-spot interview with journalists. According to him: "Well, if I say that today is the darkest day in my life I have ever seen in Riyom, it will be an understatement because what I see with my eyes is beyond imagination. In fact, I was sleeping in my house when people woke me up at about 1.30 a.m. When I woke up and I heard sporadic gunshots all over the place, we were crying. I called the Speaker, Istifanus Mwansat, the Speaker called the security men in Jos and I think the soldiers were drafted there.
"Then after some time, they brought a girl whose stomach had been scattered by bullets. So, I had to take her to Vom Hospital. And there, they immediately removed the bullets. Apart from her, there were about four other people that were taken to Vom Hospital for treatment.
"And when I came back, what I saw was beyond imagination. This is callous. And what my people are saying is that there is no need for soldiers to be in our midst because we have security men almost around this place in four locations, but it is surprising that this attack took place and nobody was arrested and no soldier was seen at the scene of the crisis.
"But in the interview I had with the residents, they told me that they saw with their naked eyes soldiers in uniform and the Fulani. So, we are having doubts in the security now. It is left to the state government and the Federal Government to sit down and find a direction to bring a lasting peace in Plateau. Otherwise, let them withdraw all the security men and allow us to go and die. That is the resolution of my people."
Speaking later after, he led a delegation of journalists to the scene, Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Gregory Yenlong, said that the attack on Byei village took the same pattern of the Dogo Nahawa attack and other villages.
"The killings were targeted at mostly women and children. You have gone round and you have seen. It is the same pattern. That means something is wrong. That is a serious security challenge. We can't understand what is happening. It is unfortunate that we are daily losing our dear ones to hoodlums. It is sad.
"Let me add that our people will take a precautionary measure. This is not the time to go and sleep again. You must sit up. You must ensure that you are able to provide and complement the effort of the security people. Don't go to sleep. This is not the time to go to sleep again. We cannot sleep while people come to murder us in the night during curfew hours. You have to organise yourselves into vigilante groups. What we are seeing now is a security challenge. We must hold the bulls by the horns. Beef up security in all the communities because we can no longer accept wanton destruction of lives and property like the ones we have just witnessed now", Yenlong added.
Yesterday evening, the military reacted to the carnage through a statement by Brigadier-General Donald Oji for the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Maj.-Gen. Saleh Maina.
According to the statement, titled "Another Carnage averted by Special Task Force Troops", "Troops of Operation Safe Haven have successfully averted another attempt to massacre people in Byei and Baten Communities in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. The assailants, armed with dangerous weapons, attacked the two communities simultaneously at about 1.00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 17, 2010; but for the timely intervention of troops deployed at Riyom area, carnage would have been carried out in the two communities.
"Although no casualty was reported at Baten, nine people were killed at Byei, while 13 houses were burnt in both communities before the arrival of the troops who were alerted through the Special Task Force help lines. Meanwhile, seven of the assailants have been arrested while troops are still on the trail of more of them. Items recovered from the assailants include three locally made short-guns with cartridges, bow and arrows, machetes, knives, and cutlasses.
"The Special Task Force wishes to reassure law-abiding members of the public that it will continue to carry out its duties effectively within the ambits of the law and will not spare any one or group whose conduct or activities are capable of inciting further violence on the Plateau. The Task Force also continues to appeal to the members of the public to show restraint in their utterances, which are capable of causing disaffection. They are further requested to continue to assist the troops in their conduct of operations by providing timely and useful information."
Pix: Plateau women protesting to the National Assembly over previous killings in Jos (from Vanguard).
STORY SOURCE: Guardian News
DESPITE the military presence and the curfew in force, Fulani herdsmen and men reportedly in the uniforms of the Military Task Force stole into another Jos village in the wee hours of yesterday to kill a fresh batch of victims.
Most of the victims, just like it occurred 10 days ago, were women and children. One of them was a pregnant woman with a baby strapped to her back.
All the three were killed. The woman's belly was ripped open and the foetus, the third victim, removed. All the three were also burnt.
According to the Chairman of Riyom Local Council, Mr. Simon Wadkwon, though he informed the military and the police about the attack, help came too late.
The federal authorities have been accused of encouraging a culture of impunity by failing to punish those arrested over previous killings in Jos and other northern states.
Survivors said Fulani herdsmen and some people wearing the current uniforms of the Military Task Force carried out the attack at about 1.30 a.m. yesterday.
The attack on Byei village is coming 10 days after suspected armed Fulani herdsmen attacked four villages in Jos South and Barkin Ladi local council areas in which many people, mostly women and children, were killed.
Thirteen dead bodies were physically counted, five were injured and are receiving treatment at the Vom Christian Hospital, while some people are still missing.
Three males, six females and four children were physically counted among the slain people.
Majority of the victims bore machete wounds while only one victim's stomach was pierced by a bullet. After the bullet, the attackers still went ahead to slice his head.
The Fulani attackers were very careful this time. They did not carry out much burning not to attract attention from the military. They conducted the attack violently but quietly.
Commenting on the incident, a member representing that constituency in the State House of Assembly, Mr. Emmanuel Jugu, said that "enough is enough", adding that his people had resolved that they would not observe the curfew hours.
"They said they have been law-abiding and observing the curfew, yet they would be attacked by the Fulani, even in the presence of the military. My people no longer have confidence in the military. They have told me that they would resort to defending themselves as the military cannot protect and defend them", he said.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Dan Manjang, who spoke in a similar vein, said the attack took place during curfew hours, adding that the confidence of the people in the military had been eroded. "People are saying that they no longer have confidence in the military curfew," he said.
Wadkwon said the happening yesterday was a confirmation of the people's apprehension that the Fulani had concluded plans to launch another brutal attack on them. The Commissioner of Police, Ikechukwu Aduba, was sighted there but did not go into the field where the casualties were littered. He refused to talk to journalists.
Jugu later fully granted an on-the-spot interview with journalists. According to him: "Well, if I say that today is the darkest day in my life I have ever seen in Riyom, it will be an understatement because what I see with my eyes is beyond imagination. In fact, I was sleeping in my house when people woke me up at about 1.30 a.m. When I woke up and I heard sporadic gunshots all over the place, we were crying. I called the Speaker, Istifanus Mwansat, the Speaker called the security men in Jos and I think the soldiers were drafted there.
"Then after some time, they brought a girl whose stomach had been scattered by bullets. So, I had to take her to Vom Hospital. And there, they immediately removed the bullets. Apart from her, there were about four other people that were taken to Vom Hospital for treatment.
"And when I came back, what I saw was beyond imagination. This is callous. And what my people are saying is that there is no need for soldiers to be in our midst because we have security men almost around this place in four locations, but it is surprising that this attack took place and nobody was arrested and no soldier was seen at the scene of the crisis.
"But in the interview I had with the residents, they told me that they saw with their naked eyes soldiers in uniform and the Fulani. So, we are having doubts in the security now. It is left to the state government and the Federal Government to sit down and find a direction to bring a lasting peace in Plateau. Otherwise, let them withdraw all the security men and allow us to go and die. That is the resolution of my people."
Speaking later after, he led a delegation of journalists to the scene, Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Gregory Yenlong, said that the attack on Byei village took the same pattern of the Dogo Nahawa attack and other villages.
"The killings were targeted at mostly women and children. You have gone round and you have seen. It is the same pattern. That means something is wrong. That is a serious security challenge. We can't understand what is happening. It is unfortunate that we are daily losing our dear ones to hoodlums. It is sad.
"Let me add that our people will take a precautionary measure. This is not the time to go and sleep again. You must sit up. You must ensure that you are able to provide and complement the effort of the security people. Don't go to sleep. This is not the time to go to sleep again. We cannot sleep while people come to murder us in the night during curfew hours. You have to organise yourselves into vigilante groups. What we are seeing now is a security challenge. We must hold the bulls by the horns. Beef up security in all the communities because we can no longer accept wanton destruction of lives and property like the ones we have just witnessed now", Yenlong added.
Yesterday evening, the military reacted to the carnage through a statement by Brigadier-General Donald Oji for the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Maj.-Gen. Saleh Maina.
According to the statement, titled "Another Carnage averted by Special Task Force Troops", "Troops of Operation Safe Haven have successfully averted another attempt to massacre people in Byei and Baten Communities in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. The assailants, armed with dangerous weapons, attacked the two communities simultaneously at about 1.00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 17, 2010; but for the timely intervention of troops deployed at Riyom area, carnage would have been carried out in the two communities.
"Although no casualty was reported at Baten, nine people were killed at Byei, while 13 houses were burnt in both communities before the arrival of the troops who were alerted through the Special Task Force help lines. Meanwhile, seven of the assailants have been arrested while troops are still on the trail of more of them. Items recovered from the assailants include three locally made short-guns with cartridges, bow and arrows, machetes, knives, and cutlasses.
"The Special Task Force wishes to reassure law-abiding members of the public that it will continue to carry out its duties effectively within the ambits of the law and will not spare any one or group whose conduct or activities are capable of inciting further violence on the Plateau. The Task Force also continues to appeal to the members of the public to show restraint in their utterances, which are capable of causing disaffection. They are further requested to continue to assist the troops in their conduct of operations by providing timely and useful information."
STORY SOURCE: Guardian News
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