Another band of unknown militias resumed attacks on villages in crisis-wracked Plateau State on Wednesday, leaving about 13 persons dead.
Re-enacting the strategy used in the previous killings at Dogo Nahawa, Zot and Ratsat, armed men thought to be Fulani militias stole into Byei village in Riyom Local Government Area of the state under the cover of darkness and a driving rain, setting fire to homes and firing gunshots into the air to drive frightened villagers into the night. At the end of the midnight raid, six women, four children and three men had been hacked to death, according to residents of the village who survived the attack.
“It was raining. They took that advantage,” Linus Vwi who said he and about 20 neighbours escaped into the surrounding wilderness told state officials who visited the village. Yohana Dalyop, another eye witness told our reporter that the attackers came in company of some men in army uniform who, according to him, shot severally into the air.
Speaking to reporters at Byei village, Plateau State House of Assembly member representing Riyom constituency, Danboyi Jugul, said that his people may resort to self defence if the government can not live up to its responsibilities of protecting lives and property. “This is callous, this is wicked. “Today is the darkest day I have ever seen in my life in Riyom.”
“Enough is enough. We don’t want the military again,” said Jugul. “We have been observing the curfew. So how can people now come and slaughter us. The military should withdraw. We are capable of defending ourselves,” he said. Gregory Yelong, information commissioner in the state who was at the scene of the incident attributed the attack to failure of security.
The acting commissioner of police in the state, Ikechukwu Aduba, who visited the village left without, however could not speak but left the event speechless. Also speaking, Riyom council chairman Simon Wadkwon told reporters that he personally reported the attack to the police within the vicinity but they did nothing about.
The latest attack is the third sectarian violence in Plateau State this year. After the January unrest, violence flared again 10 days ago with attacks on the mostly Christian villages of Dogo Nahawa, Zot and Ratsat just south of Jos, in which hundreds more people are feared to have been killed.
In the wake of the killings, Acting President Goodluck Jonathan had put all security agencies on full alert and vowed to prosecute persons associated with the violence.