ANOTHER tragedy struck in Plateau State on Monday when about thirty people were killed and forty houses
burnt in an attack by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen on villages in Bachit District, of Riyom Local Government Area of the state.
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Also destroyed by the gunmen who were in their large number were valuable properties worth million of naira while cattle belonging to the natives were also carted away by the marauders.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that the gunmen at about 7: 00 am stormed shonong community, consisting of four different villages in a commando-like operation and shot sporadically into the air to announce their arrival killing no fewer than thirty people while many people sustained fatal injuries.
An eye witness told Nigerian Tribune that those who sustained gunshot injuries are presently receiving medical treatment at the Vom Christian Hospital adding that the attackers stormed the village at about 7am when most of the able-bodied men that could have repelled the attack had gone to farm, thereby killing mostly children,women and the aged people.
He said he escaped narrowly from the attack as he was moulding blocks around his house when the killings commenced.
He added that 30 bodies were discovered after the attack adding that survirors of the attack had since commenced search as many people in the affected villages are still missing.
However, the Majority Leader of the Plateau State House of Assembly and member representing Riyom constituency, Hon. Daniel Dem regretted the presence of the Special Task Force (STF) in the area, adding that “if the military were there in the village and the attack took place at about 8am and lasted till afternoon, then the military have so many question to answer.”
He said “for some weeks now the acting Chief of Shonong where the attack took place was killed and was buried last week with two others. This morning again, I was called at about 8 am that there is a fight in Shonong and that some women and children went to search for firewood in the farm and were killed and that the Fulani surrounded the entire community firing sporadic gun shots and several people killed and many injured.”
“We have security men there and if the attack will start from 8am until after noon, I think something must be wrong, what are the military there for? If we will have attack from morning to after noon and people killed, houses burnt, I think the military should be asked why they were there to protect lives and property of the people.
“We have try to get in touch with them and they said they are on ground and what then happen from morning to evening that over 30 people were killed and with so many casualties are lying in the hospital,” he cried out.
All effort to get official confirmation from the Special Task Force in charge of the security in the state prove abortive.
