By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has narrated how Fulani bandits killed over 200 persons during the 2023 Christmas Eve Celebration in some communities in Plateau State.
The Apex Christian body said women, children and able-bodied men who could not defend themselves were murdered on a night they were preparing to celebrate the birth of their Lord and Savior, saying it was a calculated attempt.
The Vice President of CAN, Rev. Stephen Panya was speaking on Monday in Jos during a Peace Walk organised to register the Church displeasure of the unfortunate killings in the State that has continued unabated. https://sundiatapost.com/plateau-killings-gov-mutfwang-prays-weeps-say-president-tinubu-ll-end-carnage/
It would be recalled that over 200 persons were murdered in Bokkos Local Government Area of the State during the 2023 Christmas Eve Celebration.
The killers were fingered to be Fulani terrorists who have had a continuous face-off with the locals since April 2023.
Fulani and Plateau Locals have had a prolonged feud spanning over two decades, with perpetrators always getting away with the heinous crimes, our correspondent reports.
However, speaking at the Plateau State Government House in Jos, the CAN scribe, Panya, narrated that a nursing mother shot her stomach and the bullet passed through her to kill her 9 months old baby.
According to him: “One Veronica Malan, a nursing mother was shot through her stomach and the bullet pierced her abdomen and passed through the stomach and killed her 9-month-old baby boy, Godwin.
“To ensure that they were both dead, they were slaughtered along with 23 others, mostly women in their hideout in Chirang, Mangur District. https://sundiatapost.com/can-chairman-leads-protest-march-against-plateau-killings/
“A three-year-old baby girl was shot point blank and still lies critically ill at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).
“At the Mbong community, the charred bodies of a woman and her seven children and relatives set ablaze by the terrorists lie in the ruins of their burnt bedroom.
“The following breakdown of people killed directly from the scenes of attacks by districts are as follows – Butura (32 killed, one (1) person still missing); Mbar ( 29 killed); Mangor (44 killed with 50 injured and three (3) people still missing); Mazat (10 killed, these are Ron people located in Barkin Ladi LGA).
“Bokkos ( 29 killed); Tangur (6 killed); and Mushere (2 killed). The total number of people massacred in cold blood so far is about 160 and still counting.
“Internally displaced People (IDPs) are estimated now to be about 15,000. Eight Churches were burnt down: Baptist, Dares; CAC Mbong; COCIN Maiyanga; COCIN Ndung; COCIN Tahor; CAC Longhair; COCIN, Ngha-buk and COCIN Church Hurum. All the Eight Pastoriums in the Churches were also burnt down. Two Pastors of Baptist and Assemblies of God were killed in the attacks.
“A further breakdown shows that 110 men, 37 Women, 10 Children, and 3 physically challenged persons were burnt in their homes as they were unable to run.
“A total of 25 villages were attacked in the well-coordinated military-style assault. The breakdown of the villages according to districts are as follows: Butura (4), Mbar (5), Tangur (4), Bokkos (6), Mushere (1), Mangor (4) and Mazat(1}. Total number of cars and buses destroyed (8), Motorcycles (27) while those stolen by the attackers were 2. The total number of houses burnt is about three hundred and one (301)”, CAN said.
However, articulating a 10 point agenda, the Christian body gave the following demands:
“We call for timely intervention in the provision of emergency relief in terms of food, water, toiletries, sleeping materials and other such necessities. We appreciate the directive given by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to relevant Federal government agencies such as NEMA to mobilise and provide succor to the victims. We also commend the great effort of the Governor Caleb Mutfwang in not only out rightly condemning the attack, but also taking urgent concrete steps in providing food and other necessities to the displaced survivors in the IDP camps.
“We unequivocally and emphatically call for an end to these sustained attacks and killings on the Plateau and in Nigeria. We demand immediate justice for the innocent people of Bokkos, Mangu, Riyom, Bassa, Barkin Ladi and other affected communities.
“We commend President Bola Tinubu for condemning the dastardly attacks in totality and directing security agencies to go after the culprits and bring them to justice.
“We note with great encouragement and hope that this is a marked departure from the lackluster response of the Presidency and the Federal Government during similar attacks in the past. We therefore call on security agencies to align with this new mindset and ensure that the criminals responsible for these heinous attacks are apprehended, prosecuted and brought to justice.
“We unanimously call on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as a matter of urgency, to initiate the process of officially proscribing the armed terrorist militias responsible for these mindless killings. They should be officially designated as terrorists. This will give the military the power to fully engage them as provided in the Terrorism Act of 2022.
“It is on record that in 2015, the Global Terrorism index (GTI) named the armed Fulani militias as the fourth deadliest terror group in the world. Nigeria must urgently act and treat them as such while also engaging other West African countries, through ECOWAS, to do the same thing. A regional approach, consensus and action have become extremely imperative to deal with the menace of the Fulani militias.
“We call on President Tinubu through the Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Muftwang, to provide adequate security for the 15,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Bokkos who are today located in various temporary camps and houses of relatives. All communities destroyed should be rebuilt and the displaced people relocated and resettled back in their ancestral homelands as soon as possible.
“We call for an end to the intentional dispossession of land and the current land grabbing through militarization and the activities of these armed militias and bandits which have gone on for too long now in Plateau State.
“Records show that several indigenous villages have been overrun, the people displaced and some of these villages are currently being occupied by these armed militias. This sad reality and social tragedy must change. The displaced people should be resettled back to their ancestral lands and given adequate security.
“We demand an end to the intentional destruction of farm produce and cattle rustling which have become huge security issues. We urge Governor Muftwang to look into this and find ways to tackle these issues once and for all. We also call for the construction of food barns which were burnt down with farm produce in the communities attacked.
“By implication, even if the survivors return to their communities, there would be no food left. Unless there is timely intervention, the people will face hunger and starvation.
“We strongly appeal to the Federal Government to establish the North Central Development Commission (NCDC). This has become necessary following the frequent attacks and wanton destruction of lives and properties across the zone in the last decade.
“We recall that the militancy in the Niger Delta led to the establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission. Similarly, the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East has led to the establishment of the North East Development Commission. Therefore, the massive and unrelenting destruction of lives and properties in the Savannah belt region of the Middlebelt, which has witnessed continuous attacks and killings in Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Niger States; and Southern Kaduna, make a strong case for the establishment of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC). This will help immensely in the rebuilding and rehabilitation process of the affected communities.
“We call on the Federal government of Nigeria to direct the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to immediately commence the process of rebuilding the destroyed communities pending the establishment of the North Central Development Commission. A robust and comprehensive security architecture should be put in place to enable all displaced persons to return to their ancestral homes. We encourage the Federal government to solicit funding and other support from the AU, EU, and UN to provide massive humanitarian interventions as well as save the people from impending hunger due to the reality of food terrorism which has now become a potent weapon in the hands of the terrorists.
“We call for the release of all those alleged to have been arrested with legitimate self-defence implements such as Cutlasses, clubs, machetes, etc.
“Where such persons have been arrested as alleged, they should be immediately released because, it amounts to aggravating the pains of the people by security agencies who did not respond on time to protect the communities”, CAN demands.
On his part, the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, assured that President Tinubu will bring the crisis to an end.
The Governor also assured that he will not play politics with the security of citizens he took an oath to protect.
He also promised that it will not be business as usual where terrorists who kill people in cold blood will go unpunished.
Mutfwang joined the mammoth crowd who thronged the Government House to weep for the souls of those murdered in cold blood, praying that all the terrorists involved in the gruesome murder will be apprehended.
