Survivors of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday suspected Fulani bandits’ attacks on over 10 communities in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State have narrate their ordeal during and after barbaric attacks by bandits…..CONTINUE READING...CONTINUE READING
The suspected bandits had on Monday night through Tuesday and also on Wednesday stormed communities, especially the Fungzai and Kubat communities in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing over 100 people, mostly women and children and badly injuring others, while hundreds of houses and properties were burnt. Some of the survivors, who are currently receiving Medical attention at Nanret Ji-Bethel Hospital, Mangu, said their escape from the attackers was nothing short of a miracle of God.
When Sunday Telegraph visited the Hospital, among the survivors was an 8-month-old Precious Manni from Fungzai village. Her father and mother were killed by the attackers in the process of trying to find an escape. Only she and her elder brother, who is 14 years, escaped by the whiskers. Her father Man- ni, her mother and three brothers were killed while trying to escape. While narrating the sad event, her elder brother, Wisdom, who is taking care of her in the Hospital in Nanret Hospital Mangu said while in tears: It’s only God that saved me and my little sister. I had run a different way to the bush, but my parents and my siblings were inside a vehicle trying to escape because the attackers came at midnight, firing gunshots and burning our houses.
So, they killed my parents and my three brothers. They shot precious at her back, thinking they have killed all and left but she survived. We are the only two left. They have burnt our Houses, and we have nothing; no place to go to”. Another survivor, currently receiving treatment at Allah Nakowa Hospital Mangu, is an 80-year-old Kaka Talatu Haruna from Kubat Village, whose two legs were broken by gun- shots. Mama, who spoke little in the Hausa Language, said she was in pain, crying to God to heal her. “Why are they killing us? What did we do to them? My people are not trouble- some and they didn’t look for anybody’s trouble. Why killing us, even if they want to kill us who are old, why killing children? What did we do?” She asked, as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Also speaking in an interview with Sunday Telegraph one of the survivors, Sati Seriem Jonathan, whose wife was killed on Monday and left him with 5 children, said the attackers came in the night while they were sleeping in Fung- zai, gunned many people to death, especially women and children and set the entire village ablaze. “When the attackers started shooting, the lucky ones, including myself and the children ran, and it was dark. We were together with my wife but she was shot to death while God saved me and the children. Now, how would I do without my wife, my strong pillar? They are wicked. Why are the attacking and killing us? What did we do to them? Again, a deaf and dumb, Mrs Pedi Longkat, who is 25 years, currently receiving treatment at Allah Nakowa Hospital Mangu, couldn’t talk. She only expressed herself using her hand to show where she was shot.
The sad story was when the attackers came both she and her husband couldn’t hear the sound of a gunshot. However, Baba Donman, who is currently in an Internally Displaced Camp in Mangu, said the government and the security agencies have abandoned them. He said: “Since the attackers invaded our villages, security agencies have disappeared. Our houses are being burnt, our foodstuff looted. For the past two days, we are here without food. No government intervention! What have we done to the Nigerian government?” The old man cried out. It would be recalled that on Friday, the Community leaders disclosed that the death toll from Monday, and Tuesday’s attacks in over 20 villages in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State has risen to 125 as of Friday 19th May 2023.
The National President of the Mwaghavul Development Association, (MDA) Sir, Joseph Gwankat, stated this in Jos during a Press Conference at the NUJ Press Centre Jos. Gwankat, who is also the Makaman Panyam, alongside other officials of MDA said that they have buried 125 people of Mangu so far, as a result of the unprovoked attack unleashed on them by the Fulani mercenaries and terrorists continued. He noted that the attacks have left over 20,000 displaced persons, mostly Women and children without any government intervention. According to him, vic- tims, who were brutally butchered and dumped in the well were not included among the 125 corpses they buried, as many are still missing in the various villages. “We want the world to know that what is happening to us can best be described as genocide. It is systematic and deliberate ethnic cleansing of Minority tribes in Nigeria and we cannot allow this to continue.
We are calling on our people to arise and defend yourselves, your God-giving land and property with all that you have. We will not leave our land of heritage. This is the only place we can call our own. We have no other place to run to.” He also added that 20 villages in Mangu were affected badly as they have all been pulled down by the assassins, while 20,000 people have been displaced as a result of the attack. The Senator, representing Plateau North in the National Assembly and Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Istifanus Dung Gyang, said the coordinated attacks, mass killing and burning down of several villages in Mangu Local Government of the state for three days running by heavily armed terrorists have again brought out the destabilisation agenda against Plateau host communities.
Gyang, in a statement signed and issued in Jos, by his Senior Legislative Aide, Hon Daniel Dem, appealled to governing authorities at both Federal and State to devote attention and resources to secure Plateau host communities that are repeatedly targeted for annihilation. Also, a Joint security reinforcement in Plateau State, after the bandits’ attacks said it has arrested seven suspects connected to the gruesome killings of mostly women and children in Fungzai and Kubat villages of Mangu Local Government of the state. Plateau Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Alfred Alabo, in a statement in Jos said the seven suspects have so far been arrested and are currently in the custody of the STF. He noted that exhibits recovered include AK 47 rifle, a revolver pistol and cartridges. Meanwhile, the communities have accused the security and government of not visiting the affected villages.
The MDA President, Joseph Gwankat, said they were surprised that the attacks which have taken over two days, neither government nor the Security agencies had visited the affected areas, saying the Deputy Governor, the SSG and some security chiefs only stopped at the Palace of the Mwaghavaul Traditional ruler in Mangu, without going to the main areas of attacks to see things for themselves and immediate action and assistance. For now, the displaced persons in their thousands have no food especially for the women and children as the state and Federal emergency agencies both SEMA and NEMA are yet to respond to their needs. However, a Non- governmental organization known as Stefanos Foundation has distributed food and non- food relief items to families in some communities affected, including Murish, Jwak Maitumbi, and Communities…..CONTINUE READING
