Another tragic loss of 5 able bodied young men are said to have been killed on the 7th day of February, 2021 at Kishisho and Zirshe villages of Irigwe under Kauru LGA of Kaduna State and Kwall District of Bassa LGA in Plateau State respectively.
A spot assessment has it, as testified by one of the injured victims narrating the incident, that, “we were on surveillance, watching our surroundings when we heard sporadic gunfire in Kigam, a nearby village. On making advanced steps to ensure the attack is not extended to us, unknowingly that armed Fulani had already laid ambush along Kishisho-Kigam bush-path. Just some metres away, they opened fire at us, killing 5 of of our people,” said Mr Dennis Habila. He added that, “after I was shot on my right lab, it was heartbroken situation to witness the killings of my colleagues, namely:
Abbas Gado, 45 year old,
John Francis, 36 years,
Mr. Sati Yakubu 32,
Abbas Boyi, 50,
Sandi Kusa, 42,
who helplessly cried out for help, but none could be reached out because we had Bows and Arrows, Machetes and Cutlasses for self-defense” Mr Dennis sighed while recalling the unfortunate development.
As to the identity of the assailants, Dennis said, “Fulani have been attacking and killing our people at will. They always come for grazing after which they lay ambushes. Same happened yesterday, 7th February, 2021 even though it was already dark to specifically point at the faces or identity of the attackers but they spoke in Hausa with Fulani ascent; When I was shot on my right leg, two of the attackers came after me as ordered by the one who shot me and Danlami, but I escaped through the bushes,” pointing at the frequency of the killer fulani unrestrained movement purposely to attack during and after grazing.
Orphans have been at the receiving end of the ongoing attacks, particularly the last one has given rise to an increase in number of orphans as One of the widows, Mrs. Janet Danlami who is heavily hit by the heartbroken exit of her husband whom she had expected his return after surveillance over the village, concisely said, “he told me there were gunfire in the neighboring village of Kigam, and the he would have to go out to ensure our village is not attacked too, but never return as promised..” leaving her to look after 4 little children, namely, Rezie Danlami, 7, Mercy Danlami, 5, Dorcas Danlami, 4, Sunday Danlami, 3 weeks old, the responsibility she had never imagined could ever befall her without signal. It’s fundamentally important to note here that, just in one week of February. 2021, not fewer that 9 natives of Irigwe have been killed, with over 49 children thrown into crisis orphans vulnerable to any environmental vices as their breadwinners are no more alive.
It’s further gathered that Irigwe natives have had series of attacks resulting to massacre of hundreds lives with no justice. For instance, late Danlami’s father with 48 others including women and children were massacred by armed Fulani militias on the 13th November, 2015 when Kigam and Angwan Rimi villages of Chawe were attacked.
Currently, over 60 children below 10 years have found themselves as Internally Displaced Persons-IDPs from the affected villages to Kwall District Headquarters, where they have been helplessly encamped with older and young women, particularly widows beside pitiably gazing the already traumatized Orphans and Vulnerable Children-OVC under the harsh weather.
This calls for urgent intervention, especially in respect of the pathetic conditions of the poor children who are in dire need of foodstuffs of high nutritional value as well as secured environment for their education which has been truncated by the mayhem.
There’s also a pressing need for deployment of security agents to forestall the recurrence of similar eruption of violent invasion as the survivors cried out in view of the local intelligence gathered that the attackers are likely to revisit terror on the unsuspecting natives security measures are not taken.
By:Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, Esq.
Emancipation Centre for Crisis Victims in Nigeria-ECCVN