By Taye Obateru

The pain of the villagers was written all over them as they rummaged through the remains of their destroyed homes.  All they were trying to do was salvage what was still useful.

Some found foodstuffs, some found clothes while others picked other valuables that were spared by the fire.  The fire did not just start; neither was it mysterious.  Invading attackers torched their houses. From Bangai, to Tahoss, Sopp, Angwa Werem, Dajol, Bashit, Dung, Sho, Fan, Rwa and Gwom villages in Riyom local government area, the story was the same.

These villages were invaded by suspected Fulani herdsmen who stormed the communities commando-style and wrecked havoc.  They killed, maimed and burnt houses forcing the residents of the areas to flee.

With their homes destroyed, many are now living with relations in other communities or in schools, police stations and other public buildings. Even at that, they remain unsure of what the future holds.

With over 150 houses burnt, thousands of people displaced and an inexact number of deaths said to range between eight and 10, villagers said they are afraid to return to their homes because they no longer feel safe.

The attack on villages in Plateau State, especially in Barkin-Ladi, Riyom, Jos South Local Government areas by suspected Fulani herdsmen dates back to the upsurge in ethno-religious crisis in Plateau State in the last decade.

Many locals and the Fulani have at various fora attested to the peaceful co-existence among them for several years before the bubble burst.

A burnt building in one of the villages

Some analysts have blamed the problem on the seeds sown during the crises which saw neighbors and friends become enemies based on the ethnic and religious dimension of the problem. To those in this category, most of the attacks from suspected Fulani herdsmen were more of retaliatory attacks.

However, locals have continued to insist that the recent spate of attacks on innocent people is unprovoked. They accuse the Fulani herdsmen of wanting to drive them from their ancestral homes so that they can take over the land for grazing.

The accusations and counter-accusations remain largely speculative. Member representing, Riyom Constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly, Mr. Daniel , said over 30 of his constituents had been murdered in cold blood by the attackers in the last one month.

He regretted that the state of emergency declared in four local government areas of the state which was to end the attacks had not yielded results and urged the Federal Government to review the security arrangement to make it effective.

Last Monday, hundreds of residents of six villages in Riyom Local Government Area fled their homes after attackers descended on Rim, Bangai, Sopp, Anwan Were Tanyo, Jol villages at night torching houses and gunning down the villagers as they tried to flee.

Over 300 people mostly women and children had to flee to a primary school at Hoss where they are taking refuge.
Similarly, some journalists escaped death by the whiskers while on an inspection of villages destroyed earlier as suspected Fulani attackers fired several gunshots.

The member was busy conducting the journalists round the about 10 villages which had come under attack from suspected Fulani herdsmen when volleys of gunshots were again fired into the village. They all had to scamper into safety to escape being hit by fire from the attackers said to have hidden behind the rocks in the area. They abandoned their vehicles and ran to a safe distance until the a shooting stopped.

The recent attacks on villages some of which were said to have been carried out in broad daylight was speculated to have been triggered by the arrest and arraignment of some Fulani community leaders, but none of those contacted was ready to discuss this when contacted. Dem was in tears after the escape to a safe area about two kilometers from the village saying he had witnessed what his constituents were going through first hand.

“I thought it was a joke. I never knew this is what my people have been passing through; I had a close shave with death. You newsmen have seen it yourselves that the victims are not just telling lies about their predicament. I am happy no journalists was hurt, but my people are in danger. There is no security to help them out. Government knows about the problem; security agents know of the attacks but no one is responding to my distress call.

“The Federal Government imposed a state of emergency on this council but they are not giving required attention to the council. The worst the government has done is to withhold the monthly allocation of these local governments and the Federal Government is not sending any special fund to handle the security challenges people are facing here.

“The Federal Government has no reason withholding monthly allocation of councils under state of emergency. The idea is compounding their problems and it is high time these withheld allocations were released or they should send special funds for emergency administration.”

A similar appeal was presented on the floor of the House of Representatives lon Thursday last week by member representing Jos South/Jos East federal Constituency, Mr. Bitrus Kaze who argued that the withholding of the funds due to the councils was creating more problems. A council official who declined to be named said the local government has not been able to come to the aid of those affected by the attacks because they are cash strapped.

“We have not paid salaries for months and almost all our projects have stopped as a result of the non-release of our monthly allocations”, he said.

Plateau State Police Commissioner, Mr. Emmanuel Ayeni, has meanwhile, appealed to the different communities to bury the hatchet and allow peace to reign. Commenting on the recent upsurge in attack on villages, he cautioned against retaliations and urged every citizen to work for peace.

He also warned against attack on security agents by women and youths after unfortunate incidents saying such does not help the situation. For now, residents of the affected areas and hoping and praying that respite would come soon to save them from the attacks to which they have lost loved ones and property.

They appealed to security men posted to maintain peace in the state to rise up to the challenge and end the ‘war’ against them.