23 Killed, 50 Injured In Plateau Violence

JOS, July 07, (THEWILL) – A Saturday morning attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen on six villages of Barkin Ladi Local Government in Plateau State has resulted in the death of more than 23 persons as well as varying degree of injuries to at least 50 others.

The villages of Kakuruk, Kuzen, Ngyo, Kogoduk, Ruk, and Dogo, all in Gashish District, were under the siege of attackers, who dressed in camouflage military uniforms and bulletproof breast plates, and raided the villages from one house to another for nearly two hours.

An eyewitness who miraculously escaped compared the killings and the many corpses littering the road to a war field. He said the body of a mobile policeman in uniform was among ‘hundreds’ of slain bodies he saw during his escape.

“Fulani mercenary stormed six villages in Gashish district of Barkin Ladi Local Government of the state in large numbers in the early hours of Saturday and shot sporadically at the innocent villagers,” Honourable Gyang Fulani, member representing Barkin Ladi constituency in the state House of Assembly, said while confirming the tragedy to THEWILL. “In the end, no less than 23 people were left dead while over fifty others were severely injured. At least 60 houses were burnt.”

Also confirming the attack, member representing Barkin Ladi/Riyom Federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Simon Mwadkwon added that 20 corpses had already been recovered.

Similarly, public relations officer of the Police in the state, ASP Abu Emmanuel confirmed the attack but declined to give casualty figure, saying the Police was yet to ascertain it as at the time of filing this report. “We are still in the villages now, trying to calm down the restive youths and to ensure that normalcy is restored.”

Media officer of the military Special Task Force (STF) on Jos crisis, Captain Salisu Mustapher said his men immediately trooped to the villages when they got wind of the attack, adding that some arrests had been made and also declining to comment on death and injury tolls.