- Victim: Our attackers chased us out of our homes so we could die in cold
In the battlefield that Plateau Central Senatorial District has become since April 2023, the resultant humanitarian crisis is better imagined. It has been one mass burial after the other while the number of internally displaced persons has been on the increase in the last nine months.
From the data collated by the Nigerian Red Cross (NRC), the Christmas Eve attacks a month ago has generated more humanitarian issues than the state government can cater for. According to the Bokkos Divisional Secretary of the Nigerian Red Cross, Jethro Gumbul, there are 7,457 children in IDP camps, 634 pregnant women, 321 nursing mothers and 542 aged people spread across the 13 IDP camps in Bokkos LGA.
Barely one month after the Christmas Eve attacks, Mangu, the neighbouring local government area to Bokkos, erupted in another violence where more than 30 lives were lost. In all these attacks, the number of residential houses razed is often more than number of deaths, implying that the figure of displaced persons is higher.
The multitude of displaced persons in IDP camps signifies serious of humanitarian challenges. One of the IDPs, Musa Bako, who left the camp to take refuge with a relation in Jos City, said: “I left the camp because of cold. I may die of cold if I remain there for another week. Many of us in the camp have developed pneumonia. Everyone is coughing and there is danger of an epidemic.”
The month of January is a month of severe cold in Plateau State. It is the month when the harsh Jos cold is at its peak. The experience of sleeping in a church or school as a displaced person is worse than being in prison custody.
“The attackers actually intended to displace us from our homes so that we can die in the cold,” said Joel Rabo.
There are fears that nursing mothers and pregnant women in the camp are experiencing untold hardship due to the extreme weather condition.
When the conflicts erupted again last Monday in Mangu LGA, many residents were burnt as their houses were set ablaze.
Giving an account of the attack, a survivor said: “The attackers sent the villagers in their droves, to take refuge in Mangu town as well as other communities within and outside the state. Some survivors who settled in Mangu town and the surrounding suburbs are doubly traumatized as violence erupted in the town on Tuesday following a disagreement between two people.
“The seemingly minor issue degenerated to the burning of 27 persons in Kwashlalek community. A yet to be confirmed number of people also lost their lives as the attacks escalated to Mangu town where scores of houses, shops and other properties were burnt.
“I was lucky because my son arranged a security vehicle which evacuated us before our house and other property were burnt.
“My house is at Sabon Kasuwa. On Tuesday morning, we woke up at about 6 am and started hearing sounds of gunshots. It got intensified so we got out and tried to see or hear what was happening.
“When we didn’t know what was happening, we went back inside but we saw some Muslims in the neighbourhood moving in their numbers to the direction of the gunshots. We came out again and saw how menacing they were moving towards us and we got scared because we were only a few Christian families surrounded by the Muslims.
“We moved to COCIN Church, Sabon Kaswa and our Reverend and everyone with security people’s numbers were calling the security people to come but they delayed. The Hausa and Fulani boys were moving menacingly while their wives, whom we never had any problem with, started insulting us.
“I later called my son to help and he went to find a group of security men. They asked him to buy petrol for them and he did. The security came, picked up a few of us and dropped us at Gindiri Junction.
“From Gindiri Junction, I went to a friend’s house, and it was there I got information that my house was burnt after they looted my property. We also saw that the security people that were brought did not allow our Christian brothers to come around to help us. The security men that came around did nothing as my house, our church and other Christian homes were burnt down.
“I heard that they parked bags of maize, rice, gari and all that I sell. They then went into the compound and burgled all the rooms. They injured some people and later set the house ablaze.
“A neighbour who was seriously sick and couldn’t move was burnt alongside his family members in his house.”
Another resident, Le’an, said: “I left Dungwel on December 13 last year to stay with my uncle in his house near EKAN Primary School in Mangu town. I thought I would have peace there, but as we speak, we have moved to Angwan Mission to stay with some relatives because my uncle’s house was burnt by his Muslim neighbours on Wednesday.
“We managed to escape unhurt, but we heard and saw them jubilating and rejoicing that we had been burnt in the house.
“Three days ago, some herders attacked some Mwaghavul youths around the Sabon Gari area. The youths in that area protested against the action and were moving towards Ruga (a Fulani settlement) to iron out the matter.
“Before we knew it, the Muslims settling at Sabon Kasuwa (new market) started attacking their Mwaghavul neighbours, asking why the people would go to Ruga. The natives asked if they were supporting the actions of the Fulani herders that always attack the people and they said yes.
“The situation degenerated, leading to the burning of houses and the COCIN Church at Sabon Kasuwa.
“The thing was spreading from one place to the other and it got to our area around EKAN Primary school where our Muslim neighbours also joined in burning houses.
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“When the thing started in our area, we locked ourselves in the house because we didn’t think they would want to harm us. But surprisingly, we heard our neighbours asking if we were in, and when they confirmed it, they started throwing things on the zinc, breaking the windows as the rampaging youths approached.
“When we saw that the house was on fire, we sneaked out through the back door without a pin as the attackers were gathered in the front.
“As we were walking away, we could hear them saying in Hausa language, “mun kona baban dake cikin dakin,” meaning we have burnt Baba inside the house, referring to my uncle. We are still shocked that this could happen and my BP has gone up.
“We are waiting for the curfew to be lifted, so I can take my uncle to join his son in Jos.”
The violence has been controlled and the curfew enforced at the time of this report. The poor network in the area is limiting communication but some natives say there are increasing threats in some communities in Panyam district of Mangu.
The state governor, Caleb Mutfwang, who was disgusted at the high level of destruction witnessed in communities around Mangu Local Government Area of the state, noted that misguided people under the influence of hard drugs must have escalated the situation.
He visited Kwashlalek, a community where 27 persons were burnt in a house, as well as others in Mangu and Bokkos local government areas to assess the level of destruction and promised to step up the campaign to stamp out illicit drugs in the state.