On Friday night, a new attack by gunmen in the Rawuru community of the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State resulted in the deaths of about eight (8) people.
A youth leader in Jos, Solomon Dalyop confirmed the killings to newsmen saying, “So far, we have confirmed that eight persons were killed during the attack last night in Rawuru community in Barkin LGA. What we don’t understand is that before the attack took place, some soldiers came to the village in the afternoon. We also saw them in the night.”
He explained that the villagers were attacked, resulting in the deaths of the victims who were at home.
He wondered how the assailants were able to carry out the attacks without being apprehended by the community’s soldiers and security agents.
He called the attacks “one too many” and demanded an investigation into the activities of members of the Military Taskforce stationed in Plateau communities to keep the peace.
He bemoaned the fact that 276 people had been killed in various communities in the previous month as a result of the ongoing attacks, with over 30,000 people now displaced.
He said there are mass grave sites where deceased bodies are buried for those that care to go around and see for themselves.
”Thirty thousand (30,000) IDPs are scattered in Mangu, Panyam, Mangu Halle, Yilpo (Sabon Gari) Fan in Barkin Ladi, Maikatako in Bokkos, Marish in Bokkos, Bukuru in Jos-South and a lot in Jos North local government areas of the state, he said”.
The source explained that children at Primary, Secondary Schools and some students of tertiary institutions in the affected Local Governments have missed their examinations in the Junior NECO Exams set for JSS 3, the ongoing Senior Secondary School Examination and the Tertiary examinations due to forceful migration of people to various places as IDPs president stated.
He expressed delight that their Plateau ethnic brothers that have been supportive of their people and regretted the silent position of SEMA and NEMA which before now were known for their quick response, stressing that until now, they have not felt their presence.
He called on SEMA to work according to their constitutional responsibilities and attend to the 30,000 IDPs scattered across the state.
Dalyop accused the Military Special Taskforce in charge of maintaining security in the state of not doing enough to secure the lives of the people and called on the federal government to disband all military checkpoints in the state and replace them with that mobile police for more operational effectiveness.
Alabo Alfred, the Police Command in the state is yet to confirm the incident as he did not pick up his calls when contacted on the latest attacks in the affected communities.
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