Gunmen invade Plateau IDP camp, kill 27

Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos

More than 27 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) taking refuge in a primary school at Nkiedonwhro, Irigwe Chiefdom in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, were reportedly killed by suspected Fulani bandits in the early hours of Monday morning.

Our correspondent who visited the scene gathered from an eyewitness that the gunmen invaded the primary school and shot sporadically through the widow leaving scores of people dead and afterwards fled without being confronted by security operatives at a check point just opposite the school.

The eyewitness, who gave his name simply as Bako, said the IDPs were ushered into the classroom by security operatives before their summary execution by the unknown gunmen.

Bako said: “Those who were killed were given mass burial while those injured are receiving medical attention in various hospitals in Bassa.”

Our reporter also gathered that the unfortunate incident also happened at the time when the dusk to dawn curfew imposed by the state government 48 hours ago was still in place.

The attack is about the third in a series of attacks in the LGA since the imposition of the curfew.

However, the state governor, Mr. Simon Lalong, through a statement signed by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Emmanuel Nanle, and made available to pressmen, vowed to fish out the attackers.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations officer of the State Police Command, ASP Tyopev Terna, said a village in the local government was attacked but cannot confirm the number of persons killed.
He said: “The Commissioner of Police in the state is on a spot assessment of the attacked village and will brief the press soon,” he said.

Meanwhile, the member representing Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency of Plateau State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Suleiman Kwande, has called on the Federal Government to investigate the killings that has been going on in the Bassa LGA.

Hon Kwande, in a press statement, condemned the killings and described it as unfortunate, particularly now that peace has returned to the state after decades of violence.

“The new turn of killings of innocent people in Bassa LGA in recent time is very unfortunate and disheartening. The native of the locality in the last few weeks have suffered unprovoked attacks that resulted to the killing of innocent people.

“I call on the Federal Government to set up a committee to investigate the fresh killing on innocent persons, including children, women and men in a primary school where they were taking refuge.

“Enough is enough of the killings and security agencies must wake up to their constitutional responsibility of protecting lives in the state: this evil must stop.”

Hon Kwande called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to the affected communities while the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with its State counterpart to move to the affected villages and provide treatment to the victims.

He reiterated that security agencies must not relent in its efforts at identifying and prosecuting all those behind the heinous crime, which seeks to take the State back to the dark days of violent Conflicts.

The Northern chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev Pam Yakubu, has also condemned in strongest terms the attacks and killings in Irigwe Chiefdom of Bassa LGA.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Jos, Pam expressed his worry that people that have lived peaceful with one another in Irigewe chiefdom have taken up arms against themselves leading to the killings of innocent persons of the locality.

The CAN chairman tasked the state government to do all it can to set up machinery in motion to unearth those behind the recent attacks in Bassa and Barkin ladi LGAs.

The latest incident poses a fresh challenge for the government in its quest to rid the state of violent attacks.