Last evening of 26th day of January, 2020 at about 7:20 pm, Kwatas community of Bokkos Local Government Area in Plateau State was attacked by suspected armed Fulani who stormed a gathering of unsuspecting native and opened heavy gunfire. As a result, 14 people lost their lives to the terror attack.
At the scene were the Counsel of Bokkos LGA, Hon. Member representing Mangu Bokkos Federal Constitutuency at National Assembly, Abuja in company of serving member, Hon Dachung M. Bagos, former Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly among other dignitaries who respectively registered their condolences as well as dismay over the waded massacre of Innocent and peace loving natives who have not committed any crime warranting such a mayhem in the recent times, ECCVN team gathered. The gruesome murder of the natives was condemned in strong terms, said the National Legislator with other respondents who expressed their grievances with outcry for Justice, saying “..we called on Government, especial security agents to, as matter of urgency, fish out the perpetrators of this inhumanity and bring them to book even though such book has never had a record of the perpetrators…” In further reaction, they recounted, “..not less than 25 people have been killed within 2 weeks of January, 2020.l for no just course.” An anonymous despondent urged for “self-defense as the only option to be explored for survival since Government has failed in its primary responsibility of security of lives and wellbeing of the people who are rather killed than protected at this critical time we have been pushed in” since the situation appears to be helpless.
The corpses have been deposited at Cottage Hospital Bokkos until when mass burial arrangement is concluded.
Meanwhile, the attacks by the armed fulani, according to local sources, appear to have been widespread at about 5:00pm of 27th day of January. For instance, Marish community was also visited with mass attack where casualties could be high, houses including Headquarters of Regional Church Council and domestic valuables worth millions of Naira set ablaze.
Another nearby village called Ruboi (Sabon Barki) was also invaded by hundreds of the attackers.
ECCVN observed from expressions of the mourners that deployment of Mobile Police personnel is the prayer of the affected communities for their safety, which is in line with Federal Government plan to withdraw the military from Manning security situation in some parts of the country and hand over the task to Mobile Police.
Following the ongoing wage of ethno-religious cleansing clandestinely carried out by Fulani within and without, ECCVN calls on Government to be deliberate in its approach and curb down the self-acclaimed immunity with the attackers arrogate to themselves otherwise lawlessness will keep rising to the climax with grave consequences.
By Daly’s Solomon Mwantiri, Esq.,
Emancipation Centre for Crisis Victims in Nigeria-ECCVN
