Monday?s gunmen attack on Zike and Kimakpa communities in Plateau State?s Bassa Local Government Area by gunmen, which claimed a reported 51 lives, has sparked concerns due to both communities? proximity to the 3 Division Headquarters of the Nigerian Army.

The attack came less than two weeks after armed men also struck multiple villages in the Bokkos area of the state, killing 52 people.

Our correspondent, who visited the affected communities on Tuesday, observed that they were located within a five-kilometre range from the military base.

Residents of the affected communities voiced their frustrations over the lack of security response, wondering why the military personnel stationed nearby did not intervene to prevent the attacks or minimise the damage.

?The fact that the attacks occurred without immediate intervention from the nearby military base has raised questions about the effectiveness of security measures in the area. Given the close proximity of the communities to the military base, it would be expected that security forces could respond quickly to such incidents,? a resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The PUNCH.

The incident has sparked calls for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attacks and the response of security forces as the villagers mourn their dead.

Efforts to get the Defence Headquarters? Director of Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, to comment on the issue were unsuccessful. He didn?t pick up several calls to his mobile line and was yet to respond to the message sent to him on the matter as of the time of filing this report.

Victims recount ordeals

Some of the victims shared their harrowing experiences with The PUNCH, recounting the devastating impact of the violence on their families and communities.

Lancaster Akpa, 49, from Kimakpa, said he lost nine relatives in the attack, including two brothers and seven of their children, while two other relatives are currently receiving treatment in a hospital.

?I was at home in Jos around midnight on Sunday when one of my brothers in the community called me on phone that they were killing our people in the village. I couldn?t sleep any longer after I heard the news. When I called the number back, it was switched off. There was nothing I could do that night,? Akpa said.

?Very early in the morning I set out to the village and found that the attack on the village and the killings were true. From what I gathered in the village, some of those who carried out the attack wore army camouflage while others were in mufti. But they could easily identify them as Fulani.

?So, in all, I lost nine relatives during the attack ? two brothers and seven of their children. Not only that, two other relatives who were injured are in the hospital. It?s very devastating that these attacks occurred and apprehending the perpetrators and bringing them to justice is the only way to assuage the feelings of our people.?

Jerry Muwa from Zike also recounted how his family narrowly escaped death during the attack. His son?s house was, however, attacked and after attempts to break the door, the attackers eventually set the house ablaze, killing six children.

Muwa attributed their survival to God?s mercy and expressed the community?s shock and grief over the tragedy.

He said, ?We were having a discussion on Sunday when suddenly we started hearing gunshots but we didn?t know the direction they were coming from. At first we thought it was far until we heard it close to us, then we immediately asked the women and children to go into hiding.

?Surprisingly, this people came very prepared, it was God that helped us because they came with the aim of wiping out the whole village, so, that by morning the village would be in ashes. God in His mercy saved us, but those who are gone God took with Him. All that has happened it?s just the grace of God that I am alive.

?These people came and kept banging my son?s door to no avail even after using their guns. When they could not break the door, they burnt the house with all the six children inside. We buried their ashes yesterday (Monday) because there were no bones or flesh, just their ashes. All we have to say is it?s the Lord?s doing and we leave them with God. That?s all I can tell you. I wish this tragedy never happened.?

Gov visits victims

Meanwhile, the paramount ruler of Irigwe Nation, Ronku Aka, on Tuesday, expressed gratitude to Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, for visiting Zike and Kimakpa communities following Monday?s attack.

The monarch said, ?It has not been easy for us within the past three days .We are very grateful to you the Governor of Plateau State .This killing happened while our people were asleep but we are happy you (governor ) came in a very good time to condole us.

?The Irigwe nation is happy to have you here to commiserate with us over what has happened. There are people who are eagerly waiting to see the downfall of Plateau State but it?s not going to happen. Plateau will continue to grow and the sky is the limit of the state. On behalf of the Irigwe people, the traditional council, Chiefdom of Irigwe and Bassa Local Government Council, being the acting president, I?m going to extend your greetings to them,? the paramount ruler told the governor.

He expressed concerns about the effectiveness of security measures, particularly a security tower with a drone that was erected to monitor the area, adding that despite the existence of the tower, the communities continued to be attacked.

The monarch urged security agents to review the situation and ensure the drone technology was utilised effectively to prevent future attacks.

He also suggested that improving the road network in the community would enable security personnel to respond more quickly to attacks, stating that if the killings continued, there might be no one left in the Irigwe nation within the next three years.

Governor Mutfwang expressed condolences and reassured both communities of his administration?s support during their trying times.

Accompanied by the state?s security chiefs, Governor Mutfwang stated that the government was reengineering the state?s security architecture to forestall further attacks and ensure lasting peace and stability across Plateau State.

?We are here to mourn with you, to pay our respects to those whose lives were cut short by this senseless act of terror. The entire nation is grieving with you, and so is the international community,? the Governor said.

?I have wept since yesterday (Monday) because we believed that all necessary measures were in place to prevent a recurrence of such tragedies. We have made significant investments in security, but as with many human efforts, they sometimes fall short. However, this incident is a painful setback for us, especially as we have made considerable progress in pursuing peace across Plateau State.?

He reiterated his administration?s determination to prevent further loss of innocent lives.

?No one has the right to take the law into their hands. Despite the provocation, we must not allow ourselves to be dragged into the abyss of lawlessness. We remain committed to building a peaceful and prosperous Plateau for all.?

IGP vows action

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has assured the Plateau State Government that the police will work tirelessly to identify and apprehend the masterminds behind the recent attacks on vulnerable communities in the state.

The stated this during a visit to Governor Mutfwang at the Rayfield Government House.

?We condemn in the strongest possible terms these acts of violence .We recognise the severity of the incident and the severity of the situation and the negative impact on the local farming communities in Plateau State.

?We recently increased our deployment to Plateau State .We have deployed more men, more security personnel and more operational assets to the affected areas and operations are ongoing .We are working tirelessly with other security agencies and the intelligence community .We are Intensifying our intelligence gathering efforts to identified the masterminds if this dastardly acts and bring them to justice,? the IGP said.

Knocks for FG

The Middle Belt Patriot condemned the Federal Government?s inaction in arresting and prosecuting Fulani militia responsible for massacre in the region.

In a statement on Tuesday, the group, led by its national leader, Terna Nenge, cited recent attacks in Plateau?s Bokkos and Bassa LGs, where 70 people, including pregnant women and children, were killed, and over 300 homes destroyed, leaving more than 3,000 people displaced.

?The government must act beyond press releases and take concrete action to protect the lives and property of Middle Belt people,? the statement added.

The group emphasised that no religion or ethnic nationality was more Nigerian than others, adding that the lives of all citizens mattered equally.

?It is sad and irredeemably discrediting for a government to look so powerless and impotent when the Middle Belt people are massacred, but when the victims stand up in self-defence, the same government becomes so powerful with arrests and incarceration of the victims,? the group added.

?This is a testament that the lives of other citizens do not matter or have lesser value. The Federal Government?s inability to use every lawful measure or force to bring to justice these killers is as disappointing as it is criminal.

?The truth is that it is not that we lack the strength or are ignorant of what to do because if we choose, we can take the perpetrators of this genocide salvo for salvo and volley for volley, but as peaceful people, we are waiting for the government to do the right thing by arresting these Fulani militia and their sponsors. It is enough, the killings must stop or be stopped.? (The PUNCH)

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