Over 150 corpses have been recovered following the 48-hours siege in about fives villages of Gashish District of Barkin Ladi Local Government of Plateau State.
The villages were given as Xland, Gindin Akwati, Ruku, Nghar, Kura Falls and Kakuruk all in Gashish district as well as Rakok, Kok and Razat villages all in Ropp district of Barkin Ladi Local Government of the State.
Plateau State Governor Bar. Simon Lalong had to cut short his the All Progressives Congress National Convention in Abuja to enable him personally take charge of the security situation in the state, particularly communities in Barakin Ladi local Government Area.
The Governor has also directed the Security chiefs to checkmate the assailants and appeals for calm as government fashions out a lasting solution to the present challenge.
Lalong in a Press statement issued Sunday Morning in Jos signed his Commissioner of information and Communication Hon. Yakubu Dati, Lalong said he is deeply pained that despite concerted efforts which had led to the restoration of relative peace across the state, some unpatriotic elements are bent on disrupting the gains so far made.
“As a government, we are committed to ensuring a safe and secure environment that will guarantee peaceful coexistence among the various groups in the state as we remain resolute to the well being of our people.
“We, however, appeal to citizens not to take laws into their hands and cooperate with security agencies to prevent further break down of law and order as they track perpetrators of the evil act.
Member Representing Barkin Ladi Constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly Hon. Peter Ibrahim Gyendeng disclosed to Journalists in Jos that over 200 of his constituents were killed by the suspected herdsmen.
“Over 200 innocent citizens of my constituency were killed by the suspected Fulani herdsmen and still counting the dead, this is barbaric and evils, this is happening even when we have security all over the State, this is genocide and ethnic cleansing”.
New Telegraph report that the people were confirmed to have been gruesomely murdered in the onslaught, while many corpses are still being discovered in nearby bushes and rocks located in the locality on Sunday Morning.
However, the Plateau State Police command has confirmed the attack in Barkin Ladi and disclosed that 11 corpses have so far been recovered and deposited at the Barkin Ladi General Hospital.
Police Public Relations Officer in the State ASP Tyopev Mathias who confirmed the attack to New Telegraph in Jos said, “There was an attack at Barkin Ladi yesterday and so far the Police have recovered 11 corpses and deposited them at the Barkin Ladi General Hospital for now, if there is any update will let you know”.
He assured that the Police and other security agencies have taken steps to curtail the situation, saying the security are doing everything possible to ensure normally at the Area.
President Gashish District Development Association Rw Francis Chong, while reacting to the figures issued by the Police in the state said, ” We will gather over 200 corpses and take it to the Police Headquarters to confirmed better, how can they security play politics with human lives”.
He disclosed that the Regional Headquarters Church of Christ in Nation COCIN, as well as the House of the Pastor including a car, were also burned down to ashes by the suspected Fulani herdsmen.
The Berom Youth Movement President Rws Dalyop Choji confirmed New Telegraph that the corpse from many of the villages were yet to be retrieved because ambushes were still laid in most of the community roads and any individual who attempts to go from village to village is killed. He said, “because we are yet to retrieve the corpse, there is a chance that the death toll could be significantly higher than the 130 which now been confirmed”.
Asked if the STF have responded, he said “all the soldiers stationed in the area ran away because of the fire-power of the herdsmen.
They fled once the realised the sheer number and fire-power that was approaching them”.
The Christian Association of Nigeria CAN, Plateau State Chapter in a Press Statement signed by the Chairman Rev. Soja Bewarang and made available to Journalists in Jos said continued genocide going on now in Barkin Ladi Local Government and other communities in Riyom and Bokkos are very disheartening to say the least.
“The killings is becoming no longer, herders and farmers, again but deliberate attempt to conquer and occupy the land of the peoples’ ancestral heritage. CAN also note with great pains the dastardly attacks ongoing in many other local government areas in the State by the herdsmen militias”.
CAN condemn in the strongest terms the level of the continuous genocide of Plateau people.
“Barkin Ladi is under siege with more than 200 innocent precious human lives killed and countless driven out in the rains and left without shelter”.
“CAN is also saddened by the news of the attack on CAPRO School of Missions (SOM) in Gana-Ropp by the malitias. CAN had yesterday made a statement concerning the incident at Mangu Halle as very unfortunate”.
The christian Body Commend the youth in Mangu and environs as well Youth in Riyom, Barakin Ladi, for their peaceful action that guaranteed peace or else things would have been worst in the state.
“CAN condemns these unholy act of systematic genocide and sees it as a deliberate attempt to destroy the cultural heritage of Plateau people, in particular, the most affected areas. CAN call on the Government to use its might to bring these killings to a stop”.