Again, 30 Killed as Onslaught Continues in Plateau
Cleric killed, over 3,000 displaced
Seriki Adinoyi The onslaught in Plateau State yesterday continued fiercely, with at least another 30 persons killed, but this time, in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area in the Central senatorial zone of the state.
Soldiers had in an alleged reprisal on Saturday swooped on the Wadata, Kadarko and Kurmi villages in the southern senatorial zone of the state killing no fewer than 50.
The recent attacks on Barkin Ladi, suspected to have been carried out by Fulani herdsmen were on Vat and Zokupang villages of Foron district of the local government area.
Chairman of the Local government area, Dr. Emmanuel Lomang, while confirming the incident yesterday in Jos, said the suspected Fulani attackers stormed and killed 17 persons, including women, at Vat village and proceeded to kill another 13 in Zakupang village, both of Foron district of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
Lomang, who condemned the attacks, blamed the security agents for not protecting the people, decrying the incessant attacks on the locality in recent days, as he challenged the security agencies, particularly the Special Task Force (STF), to take their duties seriously.
The head of Kapwen village, a neighbouring village to Vat and Zakupang, Da Gwom Ishaku Pam, who said the incessant attacks on the area had caused them sleepless nights, also disclosed that a cleric working with the Church of Christ in Nation (COCIN), Pastor Luka Gwom, and a young lady, who was newly married, were also killed in the attack.
Efforts to contact the Media and Information Officer of the STF to speak on the attacks failed as he was not answering the calls put across to him.
Meanwhile, over 3,000 persons have been displaced after the Saturday invasion by the soldiers on the Wase communities in the southern part of the state.
House of Representative committee chairman on human right and member representing Langtan North/Langtan South federal constituency in the state, Hon Beni Lar, who hails from area, disclosed this in a statement issued on the havoc wreaked by the soldiers, and vehemently condemned the mayhem, which according to her, left over 50 persons dead in the wake of it.
While she lamented the wanton destruction of lives and property of the agrarian communities, Lar said the Nigerian government and the international community must note that there is a conspiracy against her Tarok people.
Lar also lamented that as the chairman, House committee on human right, it is an insult on her person that while she was in the fore front advocating for the right of every Nigerian in the world, Nigerian soldiers were busy attacking and killing her people.
She threatened to channel the ‘inhuman’ act to appropriate quarters, particularly, the United Nations, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
The lawmaker called on the relevant government agenciesNEMA, SEMA-to as a matter of urgency come to the aids of the displaced people with a view to bringing succour to the communities.
She added that there were currently over 3,000 displaced people who are now taking refuge at Pajat having been displaced from various villages in Wase.
Also appealing to government for help, the traditional head of the Tarok people, the Ponzhi Zinni, Nimnan Langnin, said the Langtan General Hospital, where the injured victims were being treated was overstretched by the number of casualties, therefore calling on the state and federal governments to come to their aid.