By Taye Obateru
For residents of Dabwak, a village in Kuru District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, Monday February 28, this year is a day they would live to remember, albeit for something negative.

The Daguit family compound where the five were killed. Inset: Ezekiel Daguit

It was the day an entire family in the village was almost wiped out by assailants, who struck in the wee hours of the day. By the time the assailants suspected to be Fulani men were done, 66_year old Mrs. Martha Daguit and her four children had been murdered.

The motive for the attack remains unclear as the villagers insist they never had any problems with the Fulani who inhabited the area but left on their own volition following last year’s crisis in the state. Many, however, see it as a continuation of the attacks and counter_attacks that have become regular in the state following the protracted ethno_religious crisis in the state.

Dabwak village is just behind the Government Science School, Kuru and about two kilometers from Wareng another village attacked not long ago where several lives were lost. The question that remains to be answered is why a particular family would be targeted for elimination if as they claim, they never had any problem with anyone to warrant such an attack.

What is evident from the countenance of the two surviving members of the family and sympathizers found commiserating with them when Saturday Vanguard visited, is that they are in deep pain and anguish.

The eldest son of the family, Ezekiel told the story of the attack amidst sobs:

“It was on Monday around five minutes past one in the morning. I just heard my dogs barking repeatedly at the back of the house and I was wondering what was happening. Within a minute or so after that, I heard a huge stone land on top of the roof. So I got up and made to go out to see what was happening.

But when I opened my door, I noticed that my mum had also woken up and opened her own door too. Just then, I noticed two people at the other end within the compound and before I knew it, they opened fire on my mum, pushed her into the room and killed her.

“I had to retreat into my room when I saw what was happening. I heard my mother struggling and shouting “Jesus, Jesus, please help me!” and thereafter, she became silent. I knew then that they had killed her. The attackers then entered the other room and killed two of my brothers there.

They returned to my door which I had locked back and tried to force it open but they could not. When they did not succeed with my door, they went into another room and killed another of my brothers and my sister.

“They returned to my door because they were determined to get me; and kept struggling with the door.

Fortunately for me, they could not because it was too strong for them. The attackers were speaking Fulani and only one of them shouted “Oh God” when they could not open my door. It was clear they were determined to wipe all of us out because they spent about 15 minutes trying to break my door just to get into my room.

When they found it near impossible to break the door, they tried through the window but again, they could not gain entry. So they eventually gave up and left.

“About 30 minutes after they left, the military people came with our village head. When I saw them, I wasn’t sure of their identity so I asked if they were around to rescue us or to kill us. It was then that our village head identified himself and called my name.

So I opened the door and it was then I discovered that they had killed my mum, my brothers and my sister. Our nanny was lucky as she was only shot on the hand. She hid under a heap of clothes in the room but when she heard my voice, she came out and was rushed to the Vom Christian Hospital where she is being treated.

“So they killed my mother, my sister and my three brothers. We are six in number. They killed four, so it’s just two of us, myself and my immediate younger brother remaining. Like I said, I heard the attackers speaking in Fulani and that is what made us believe that they are Fulanis.

They were all dressed in black so it was difficult to see them, but we never had any problems with the Fulanis who resided in this village. They lived here for many years and left on their own following the 2010 crisis. We did not touch them or do anything to them during the crisis, they just left on their own, so I cannot say there is any justifiable reason for them to attack us.”