By Taye Obateru

The joy of escaping from the bullets and machetes of hoodlums who stormed their household at Wereng village in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State on Tuesday night was short-lived for 64-year old Mrs. Mary Pam, who had upon discovering that the residence where she resides with her husband, her son, Philip and his family, was under attack, escaped through the window to alert neighbours and seek help to repel the attackers.

But by the time she returned, it was the nightmarish sight of the butchered bodies of her 37-year old son, his wife and their daughter who is just a few months old that greeted her. They had been shot in their sleep and then butchered for effect by the marauders who stormed the village at about 11.pm.

“I was already in bed when at about 11 in the night, I started hearing gunshots. Sensing trouble, I had to escape through the window and run to the next compound. I began to raise alarm and this woke up many people and this forced the attackers to escape, but by the time I returned, the worst had happened. My son and his family had been killed,” she said amid sobs.

Her husband, Francis Pam who corroborated the story, said he was returning home that night when he heard gunshots around his residence. He said he quickly turned back to alert other community members following which they mobilized

Mrs Mary Pam being consoled by sympathizers

and moved to the place only to find that the attackers had wreaked havoc and escaped.

He described the attack as unprovoked as the community had never had any problem with the Fulani herdsmen suspected to have carried out the attack. The villagers said they are pointing accusing fingers at the herdsmen because apart from the fact that they conversed in Fulani language, the attackers took nothing.

“They were not robbers, because they did not take anything, they only killed and went away and this has been the pattern of the attack by the Fulani on our people for some time now”, a villager told journalists.

As condemnations continue to trail the attack, the Plateau State Government has expressed frustration that efforts to bring the orgy of violence to an end are being frustrated by those who do not wish the state well. Special Adviser to Governor Jonah Jang on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ayuba Pam spoke government’s mind during a condolence visit to the village.

Member representing Barkin-Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. Simon Mwadkwon while sympathizing with the community lamented that series of efforts so far put in place by both the state and federal governments to end the attacks have not achieved much.

“It is like all efforts have not yielded any result. People are being killed innocently in their homes. It is really very disheartening. The constitution does not allow anyone to take somebody’s life for whatever reason. There are laid down procedures to follow to address whatever grievances that anybody has towards other citizens. What is happening now is an act of open criminality against the people”, he said.

Mwadkon also expressed worry that the heavy presence of security men in the state has not deterred the attackers, a situation which he said underscored their ineffectiveness. “We are disappointed in the security because the attackers would just come, kill and walk away freely, unchallenged.

“At the end of the day the security agencies will say there is no arrest. I want to believe that the security intelligence unit is not doing its job. They should wake up. There is nothing that the National Assembly can do about this situation because the law to deal with this type of situation is already there to take care of this situation.”

The federal legislator who was a former chairman of the local government said the attackers and their base is well known but that the security agencies had failed to take any decisive action against them. He recalled that as chairman of the council, he alerted both the state and federal governments that there were Al-Qaeda elements in the council specifically

Neighbours at the scene of attack

at a settlement called Rankum, but was not taken seriously.

“When I was chairman, there was a time I had to send the military to that area to go and investigate.

“I was shocked and disappointed that in the presence of the soldiers, the boy that led them to the place, was hacked to death. The soldiers did not do anything. This is the boy that led you to the area and he was being hacked to death in your presence without any action. There was another incident in which the Fulani men engaged members of the STF (Special Task Force) in a shoot out.

“Again, I was disappointed that there was no arrest made. Ordinary vigilante, if they had the guns that the soldiers had, they would have made arrests. Until these people are arrested and punished, these things will continue and it is very unfortunate”, he added.

While the villagers mourn their dead, there is palpable fear among the people of the area on which area would be the next target and they appeal to the powers that be to take necessary action to end the continued attack on innocent and defenceless citizens.