It was a black Christmas day as rampaging gunmen killed no fewer than 60 people, injured many, and displaced residents of Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State in a midnight operation on Christmas Eve.
Recall that sixteen people were killed and many injured in the Lisham community of Mangu local government area last Saturday by gunmen suspected to be killer herdsmen.
Sources gathered that the rampaging gunmen, in an operation similar to guerrilla warfare carried out simultaneously, attacked twenty-seven villages and communities in Bokkos and Barakin-Ladi local government areas, respectively.
The gunmen attacked Butura Kampani, Fatamba, Fashar, Garau,Angwan No., and Mbar communities in the Bokkos local government area, as are Ruku, Hurum, Darwat, Mai Yanga Sabo, and NTV villages in Gashish and Ropp districts of Barkin Ladi local government area.
A security source disclosed that the attacks were carried out simultaneously in these communities at about 10:00 p.m., when the inhabitants had gone to bed.
The Transition Committee Chairmen of the Bokkos local government area, Hon. Monday Kasa, who confirmed the gunmen attacks to local newsmen, said no fewer than 20 villages were attacked simultaneously in the council during the midnight raid, which lasted for more than three hours.
She said, “The gunmen attack was a surprise to us; the villages and the communities were attacked at the same time, precisely between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. The number of casualties was high, and so far we have picked over five corpses.
“As I am talking to you, we are still moving from one village to another, picking up the remains of those gruesomely killed by these terrorists (gunmen). Those who escaped with injuries are presently receiving treatment at various hospitals and clinics both within and outside the local government.”.
Also, the Berom Youth Moulders, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rwang Tengwong, mentioned that no fewer than twenty people were equally killed on Christmas Eve in eight communities in the Barakin-Ladi local government area of the state.
It pointed out that nine people were killed at NTV, five at Mai Yanga Sabo, three at Darwat, and one at Hurun, adding that the act of terrorism led to the complete displacement of thousands of people, which not only demonstrates a blatant disregard for human life but also seeks to undermine the peace and unity that are at the core of Nigerian values.
“On a day meant to celebrate love, compassion, and togetherness, the perpetrators (gunmen) of this dastardly act have brought untold agony, suffering, and grief to the affected communities and surrounding communities in Bokkos and Mangu Local Government Areas.
“The onslaught, followed by the invasion of Mangu and Bokkos on the 23rd day of December 2023, claiming 22 persons, explicitly depicts the mission of the marauders to consistently maim lives and mar the Yuletide; they have long planned that Plateau would be subjected to the “mother-of-all attacks” ever witnessed, which is currently being executed,” it said.
It therefore called on the government and relevant authorities not only to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident, identify those responsible, and bring them to justice, but to swiftly come up with palliative packages as well as compensation for the victims, just as it was recently accorded to Kaduna victims of bombings.
The BYM further urged the government to take immediate and decisive action to prevent further attacks and ensure the safety and security of all citizens, regardless of their ethnic or religious background.
All efforts to get official confirmation from the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) in charge of security in the state through its Media Information Officer, Captain Oya James, proved abortive.
