Aside the killings of over 30 within two months after the just concluded general elections, villages of Mangu Local Government Area in Plateau State were visited with armed violence by deadly Fulani militias in the midnight of (at about 12:09am of 16th May, 2023, killing not less than 40 people largely in Kubat and Fugzai villages
Unknown to the mourners and unsuspecting residents of neighboring Communities that, while mourning of those killed was still on and preparation for their mass burial was at its peak, the militias had already reinforced and sprung up coordinated onslaughts simultaneously carried out on Kyambus, Jwak-Maitumbi, Murish, Dumnaan and other Communities and villages within the Local Government Area.
Based on the spot assessment physically carried out by ECCVN’s team at the scenes of the incidences, homesteads rendered desolate by thousands of people displaced, hundreds of houses razed down and valuables worth millions of Naira destroyed as well as livestock and some foodstuffs looted by women and children of the Fulani.
According to one of the eyewitnesses at Jwak-Maitumbi, ‘as you can see across that valley, your eyes should be able to have the sight of hundreds of the attackers we couldn’t withstand their high power…the attacker suspected to be fulani in their hundreds invaded Kubat village in the midnight, recoding more than 30 persons killed. This does not include others affected in different locations” where there are people killed and many others injured he narrated..
As at the time of filing this report, villages and communities including Kantoma and Pushit are currently under attack.
The incident has given rise to humanitarian crisis, which requires the heavy presence of not only Government, but also outreaches by spirited individuals both locally and internationally as soon as possible.
Reacting to the sad news, the Plateau State Government, by its press statement, condemns the
ugly development and calls on security agents to go after the attackers who had already razed down more than 4 settlements before the arrival of the joint security agents that repelled the militias from advancing to villages within the general area.
At least, four motorcycles and a semi-bus(Galaxy) belonging to the attackers were recovered by the security agent at Kyambus axis, where gunmen later on ambushed and damaged two security vehicles(Hilux) during rainfall.
By
Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, Esq.
ECCVN
