Still reeling from the rampage that resulted in the burning of houses in Mangu local government area of Plateau State on Tuesday, no fewer than twenty-five people, mostly women and children, were killed by gunmen suspected of being Fulani militias in the early hours of Wednesday.
Recall that several houses, including places of worship, were burned, and eight people were allegedly killed in the troubled council area on Tuesday as a result of protests by youths over the perceived silent killings in the council, which snowballed into a confrontation between the natives and the Fulanis.
A community leader who did not want his name in print told the Nigerian Tribune that despite the 24-hour curfew declared by the governor, gunmen in the early hours of Wednesday attacked the Kwahaslalek community behind the NYSC State Orientation camp and killed 25 people.
The community leader narrated that when there was a security alert that gunmen were on their way to attack, the young men told the women and children to take refuge at the residence of one of the community leaders while they watched over the area.
According to him, gunmen later sneaked into the community, attacked the women and children, set the house on fire, and supervised the burning to ensure that they died.
Also, a resident of the community, Hosea Ibrahim, said the skirmish that happened in Mangu town was a decoy to pave the way for the attack on the community, which is not far from the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC permanent orientation camp at Jakatai, Mangu local government area.
He added that “what happened at Sabon Gari and Mangu on Tuesday was just a distraction so that people’s attention will be shifted away from the villages.”
“For the second time, my village Kwahaslalek (behind the NYSC camp) was attacked at about 12:30, leaving over 25 people, mostly women and children, killed as houses were burned and some people left with gunshot wounds.
“At about midnight, there was a sporadic gunshot, and the women ran to one compound for safety; unfortunately, the terrorist went there and killed them while the men were keeping vigil outside the community. The victims were killed at a community leader’s house, where they ran for refuge.”
However, the National President of the Manghavul Development Association, Sir Joseph Gwankat, who confirmed the killings, said the people were killed where they were bidding and burned to death.
When contacted, the media officer for Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Captain James Oya, said the command was not aware of the incident.