True to intelligence gathered that armed Fulani militias planned an invasion on Byei, Kum, Tashek and other villages of Riyom LGA within Friday 9th and Sunday 11th July, 2021, the said militias invaded Byei village at about 6:34pm of Sunday, 11th July, 2021 with sophisticated weapons used for the attack which lasted for almost 2 hours with no military presence. As a result, one Mr. James Yohanna sustains grave injury on his chest and was rushed to the hospital where he is currently receiving medical attention.
Upon visit to the hospital, Mr James Yohanna, an aggrerian of 38 years, and a father of 8 children with aged mother and 3 siblings under him as the sole breadwinner, respond that, ” in view of the current threats we received about planned attacks on our villages especially, Byei, we resolved to be on serious watch throughout yesterday and in the process, we keenly observed the withdrawal and evacuation of security personnel of Operation Safe Haven from their permanent Base stationed between Byei and Wereng-Camp at about 4:00pm with an unusual presence of Fulani grazing close-by the our village and the military Base. While local vigilante were on the watch and I was about eating my Dinner at about 6:34pm so I could go and join them shortly after, I heard heavy gunfire which I believed must have been an invasion by Fulani militias based on the information we received 3 days ago that they will be coming to attack us between 9th to 11th of July, 2021,” James said.
In pains arising from the injury sustained, James managed to speak up again that, “when I went out to assess the situation, unknown to me that they attackers had already stationed themselves round the village. I made further steps to one route I suspected they could also come through. Shockingly, shootings of heavy arms were released targeting us and after some minutes, I felt strange without knowing what had happened to me……I just found myself in the hospital.”
Amid the not yet identified attackers were some people in military uniform as narrated by the victim saying, “as it was not yet dark, I perplexedly saw 3 people in military uniform among the attackers before I was shot. I am in deep pains now because of the injury on my chest. All my prayer now is, I need help to foot my medical bill so I can be given the requisite treatment. My children are worried now, they would want to see me. Please, come to my aid,” Mr James is appealing so he can be given adequate attention.
Government and spirited persons are hereby urged to come to his aid in kind and cash in order to be able to foot the cost of the medical treatment being administered. Mr. James is also appealing for a ban on open grazing since it has been the major trigger and yardstick employed by Fulani to unleash terror attacks on native villages and communities. He equally plead for deployment or stationing Mobile Police Outpost in Byei so that series of invasions meted out on us by armed Fulani militias could be curbed down otherwise our land would continue to be grabbed and human lives lost to the ongoing ethnic cleansing agenda of the Fulani.
By:
Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, Esq.
Emancipation Centre for Crisis Victims in Nigeria-ECCVN