A survivor yesterday recounted how gunmen killed 29 people inside the classroom they took refuge to avoid violence.
Men, women and kids were displaced by communal conflict which started again last month after a few years of peace in the state.
A survivor, Samson Audu, who is on admission at the Enos Hospital in Miago, the headquarters of Bassa local government, said: “When the gunmen were coming to attack our village, we heard the sound of their guns from the other end of the village, we decided to run for safety. We ran towards soldiers camped at the primary school. The soldiers asked us to run into one of the classrooms, and we responded happily believing that they are armed and could protect us. There were many of us. The classroom was filled. We were over 100 and we thought we were safe, but 30 minutes after, the gunmen came and started firing directly at anyone they could see. Unknown to us, the soldiers that took us there had suddenly disappeared. I received a gunshot on my arm.”
Another villager, Amos Wakili, who escaped the attack, said: “It was God that prevented me from entering the classroom, because when the soldiers were directing our people into the classroom, something told me that even that place was not safe. I refused to go there and hid inside a bush, that was what saved me. Most of my neighbours and my friends were killed in that classroom.”
Berom community, which lost a former head of civil service in Plateau State advised the state government to find the killers and prevent another bloodshed.
Yesterday, Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong, accompanied by top ranking security officers as well as state government officials; paid a condolence visit to the palace of the paramount ruler of Irigwe Chiefdom, the Bra Ngwe Irigwe in Miango.
Lalong had an on-the-spot assessment of crisis areas after a security council meeting.
In one of the IDPs camps at a primary school in Shinge, which is hosting over 2,500 IDPs, Lalong told the IDPs that the government lacked words to express its sadness and frustration over the killings.
He said: “First, the government is at pain because these attacks are coming after government has laboured to restore peace in all nooks and crannies of the state. We have been enjoying prevailing peace for over two years now and we thought we should make the peace a permanent one until this one.
“Also sad is the fact that the attack came at the point where farmers were about to harvest the proceeds of their farms in the villages.”
The governor almost broke down on seeing aged women and children displaced by the gunmen. He urged the inmates at the camp to remain vigilant and be watchful of any strange person who might sneak in to carry out evil acts at the camp.
“There are suicide bombers everywhere and they have carried out attacks at IDPs camps, so, be conscious of any strange person among you and report such to security agencies immediately,” said Lalong.
Lalong added: “At a period like this, you have to impress on your people to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies who are out to fish out the attackers.”
The paramount ruler said “In as much as the people still have confidence in the security agencies, government should ensure those on ground are replaced immediately to avoid a clash between the people and security agencies. Changing this group of security agencies will promote peace in this area because everybody is angry at them and might likely confront them.”
Ropp District Development Association and Berom Educational and Cultural Organisation of Ropp district urged Lalong to take all necessary measures to fish out the killer of Da Moses Gwom, a former Head of Civil Service who was murdered in his house recently.
Both organisation represent the entire Berom community of Plateau North senatorial zone of Plateau state.
A statement jointly signed by Da Joseph Chollom Jock and Da Yusufu Fwam on behalf of the Berom community said: “Prior to the murder of the late Moses Gwom, one inspector Davou Chollom, a Berom man was brutally murdered in Wereh coupled with several other attacks and killings in Ropp district in recent times especially in Sho, Kwok, Gassa, Lobring, Jong, Gafat, Zim etc.
“In all these attacks, the district lost hundreds of people to the level that the population of people’s of the district has been restricted to internally displaced persons, even as the paramount ruler of Barkin Ladi LGA is more or less a displaced person in his locality.
The statement appealed to both federal and state governments to come to the rescue by providing security needed for the original inhabitants of the villages to return to their homes, rebuild their homes and continued with farming activities without any hindrance.
