The death toll from those killed in a weekend of violence in Nigeria’s Plateau state is much higher than the officially released figure of 86, sources have told Morning Star News.
That was the figure released by police in Jos following the attacks on Saturday. But the news agency said based on information from residents and morgue sources, more than 200 people are believed to have died when Muslim Fulani herdsmen armed with machetes and firearms attacked 10 predominantly Christian communities near Jos.
Morning Star News quoted Dogo Nvou of the village of Nghar as saying that Fulanis killed more than 70 people in his village alone.
“My uncle, his wife and many relations [were] killed,” he said in a text message. “Over 70 people in my village have been killed. It is only the Lord that can comfort us all.”
Another area resident, Thomas Chuwang, 45, confirmed that some 70 corpses were recovered from Nghar and that the entire village had been burnt down, adding that victims there were members of the Church of Christ in Nations.
Other residents told Morning Star News that herdsmen killed about 60 Christians in Xland and Gindin Akwati villages and burned down a church building and pastor’s house in Kakuruk.
Plateau’s Governor Simon Lalong reportedly said the attacks killed more than 200 people and displaced thousands of others who lost houses and crops.
“The gory pictures of the killing of innocent citizens, women and children continue to torment our hearts, and it sends the serious message that something drastic needs to be done comprehensively, to nip once and for all the ugly menace of attacks that has come to be associated with suspected militia herdsmen,” Mr Lalong said. “These reoccurring attacks have regrettably opened up space for all manners of criminality by criminal elements and conflict merchants, who engage daily in cattle rustling, theft, banditry, gun running and other forms of crimes amongst our citizens.”
On Monday, Istifanus Gyang, a member of Nigeria’s National Assembly, issued a statement in Jos decrying the attacks, which took place in the areas he represents in Plateau state, describing it as “…painful holocaust, ethnic cleansing and genocidal killing of my people under the watch of a government that has abdicated its primary constitutional responsibility of safeguarding lives of law-abiding citizens.”
The National Human Rights Commission, Christian Association of Nigeria and human rights advocates demanded the arrest and prosecution of the assailants.
In a press statement, CAN leaders called on the government to immediately arrest and prosecute the killers.
“We noted that the affected communities are yet to come out with the exact figure of the death toll, but we are alarmed that no fewer than 86 lives, as confirmed by the police, have been lost, including defenseless women and children,” they said. “Of what relevance is the intelligence gathering by the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies? If communities can be attacked and hundreds slaughtered without security organizations providing rescue efforts, then, it becomes obvious that the Nigeria’s security system has been compromised.”
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who condemned the killings, met with state officials, security leaders and traditional leaders on Tuesday and later said he would not relent in his responsibility to protect the lives of Nigerians.
Morning Star News said Danladi Ciroma, chairman the north-central chapter of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, condemned the attacks but said they were most likely “retaliatory.”
“As much as I don’t support the killing of human beings, the truth must be told that those who carried out the attacks must be on revenge mission,” he said. “Fulani herdsmen have lost about 300 cows in the last few weeks – 94 cows were rustled by armed Berom youths in Fan village, another 36 cows were killed by Berom youths. In addition to that, 174 cattle were rustled.”
Morning Star News says area Christians question how villagers untrained to handle cattle could have “rustled” the high number of cows that Ciroma claims, especially with military check-points mounted throughout the state that would make it difficult to move such a quantity of livestock.
The State Government has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in parts of the state.
