Indigent people in Miango communities of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State are bleeding to death following the sustained planned attacks orchestrated by Fulani bandits during the COVID-19 lockdown in the state.
The poor and helpless villagers are groaning in excruciating pains as they submit to the endless killings by the suspected Fulanis who are thirsty for blood.
Pastor groan to death
The killer herdsmen invaded Ngbra-zongo community at midst night on Tuesday 7 April, 2020 and murdered 34-year-old Pastor, Mathew Tagwai, Mr. Duh Abba, 38, Dih Sunday, 21 and 10-year-old Ishaku Abba in their sleep.
Painfully, MathewTagwai, a Pastor with Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) was just posted newly to ECWA Church, Ngbra-Zongo when the murderers caught short his discipleship on earth.
Investigation revealed that Pastor Tagwai heard sporadic gunshots all over the village and was making effort to escape with his two children and 7-month old pregnant wife when he was caught up with the killer herdsmen.
Tagwai, who was caught up on the crossing fire, could not hide his identify as a Christian and a Pastor. It was learnt that he confessed Jesus Christ as his Lord and personal Saviour before he was slaughtered under the watchful of his children.
Pregnant wife wails
His 7-month-old pregnant wife, Rose MathewTagwai who was in a hide out with the children, couldn’t help the situation as she watched helplessly the gory and painful execution of her husband.
Rose who couldn’t hold herself, bursted into tears. She attempted to go to the scene but later considered that they will both be killed with the children.
Her pains was that, they were just posted newly to the village and wonder where she could relocate to as they do not have a roof anywhere they could call their own.
“I am finished, I don’t know where to start from here. We were just posted newly to ECWA Church Ngbra-zongo. We do not really understand the terrain very well. We we’re just trying to get ourselves familiar with the people and the village when this thing happened.
” We were sleeping when I heard sporadic gunshots in the community, everybody was running for safety, we don’t know where to run to, we decided to hide ourselves in the Pastoral house.
“The shooting continued and our father decided to hide us, we didn’t know that the killer herdsmen were coming to our house. They caught up with my husband and he identified himself as a pastor; they wanted to leave him but one of them said he is a Christian that must be killed and he was shot.
“I watched painfully the death of my husband and I believe he is resting with Christ who he has worked for through out his life. I don’t want to recall how my husband bled helplessly to death, I put all my trust in the Lord.
Mrs Matthew, in tears, said “I’m shocked over the killing of innocent people among whom is my husband, who left me with pregnancy and two little children to fend for.
“I don’t have the means to cater for them, for I’m down-cast by this uninformed exit of my dear husband whom I believe is resting at the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ; I need your prayers and intervention at this moment I never contemplated.”
Villagers roasted
This gory incident did not start during the lockdown period at Ngbra-Zongo village. Their neighbours in
Ancha village were earlier visited on Wednesday April 1, 2020 where three persons were roasted to death, others inflicted gunshots injuries and several houses burnt.
As if that was not enough, the blood thirsty bandits returned on Thursday 2 April to a neighbouring village of Hukke and killed six persons including an 85-year-old window.
Also, three young persons were ambushed and killed while returning from work at Nkyiedongwro while three others were ambushed and killed on 23 March, 2020 at Gbra Zongu village, leaving their families helpless.
Sadly, some of the deceased persons were locked up in their rooms and set on fire. They cried and wailed in the burning fire for help but no one came to their rescue as the killers bandits stood firm in the scene to ensure that they perished on the fire.
Pathetically, some were burnt beyond recognition, some got burnt to ashes while the villagers could only pick together the parts of some individuals for mass burial.
It was gathered that two military officer serving with the Operation Safe Haven were also caught up in the crossing fire. They were murdered by the Fulani bandits.
We might be wipe out
President, Irigwe Development Association, Hon. Sunday Abdu, who chronicled the ugly trend of event described the inhabitants of the devastating communities as helpless and hopeless.
“It has become pertinent to seek your help in raising our collective voice to the orgy of evil that has, once more, visited our dear land, the Irigwe chiefdom.
“Recently, the land has not known peace owing to the wicked activities of herders who have continued to destroy farmlands in an attempt to weaken the economic life of our people.
“More worrisome is the loss of lives to these senseless killings.
While our people have continued to remain indoors and law abiding in the wake of the national outcry over the virus, the assailant Fulani herdsmen have continued each day within the last two weeks ,to visit us with mayhem.
Hon. Abdu is worried that the operatives of the Operation Safe Haven were withdrawn from the communities.
“When this happened beginning from 21 march, we thought it was a routine military action, and expected to see another set deployed. But it has been over a week since that action was carried out, and here we are with a resumption of hostilities on our soil.
“We are confused and do not know what to make of this reality. That these atrocities have resumed, is the more reason we need security presence in our land. It must be noted that even in the north east which has been the theatre of war with some losses incurred by the military, never is the army withdrawn.
“We are deeply concerned about the obvious silence of the Plateau state government over this resumed hostilities on our soil. Is the government so concerned about the raging corona virus pandemic that we are almost abandoned to the gruesome activities of the Fulani marauders?
“If the government does not rise up to tackle this challenge, Irigwe land would be wiped off even before the covid 19 comes close to Plateau state. We want to sincerely appeal to the military authorities to please as a matter of concern and urgency, redeploy personnel to resume security duties in our land.”
Military reacts
The Commander of the Operation Safe Haven, Major General Chukwuemeka Okonkwo who took over the Operation barely few days after the incident has shown serious concerned toward restoring peace in the area.
Okonkwo visited the devastated Community the day he took over to get first hand information on the prevailing killing and said his mandate in Plateau is to restore peace no matter how difficult the circumstances is.
He noted that COVID-19 fight will not distract his mandate of peace in his operational zone and expressed optimism with the help and cooperation of the people that the theatre would be close after his tenure because peace would have been restored.
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