Two Killed, Five injured in Plateau Community Attack

Two men, Moses Dalyop, 28 and Samuel Yakubu, 26, have been killed by gunmen who attacked Rawuru community in Barakin-Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State. The attackers left five members of the community injured after their invasion on Sunday night.

A source yesterday told The Nation that the criminal stormed the village around 7:30pm and attacked the people. The National Body of Berom Youths Moulder-Association (BYM), in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong, expressed shock over the attack and ambush by the gunmen suspected to be militia herders.

According to the group, the terror attacks were some of the modus operandi of the armed militias, bandits and their cohorts to continue killing and dispossessing traditional landowners of their ancestry. It condemned the attacks on affected communities, calling on the relevant authorities to rise up to their statutory responsibility and halt the acts of terrorism being meted out on Plateau villages and communities.

The group urged the government to legalize the acquisition of firearms by communities under the supervision of the police to safeguard themselves before they would be extinct by the attacks believed to be an accelerated “Ethnic Cleansing” mission. Also, terrorists on Sunday night razed over 30 houses, abducted scores and killed hundreds of cattle at Allawa community in Shiroro local government area of Niger State. It was learnt that the incident occurred at about 7:56pm on Sunday.

The attackers were said to have fired sporadic shots into the air which made the villagers run into the bushes. Residents who pleaded anonymity said that several of those who were abducted were women and children as they were not fast enough to escape the terrorists. The terrorists also burnt 35 motorcycles and 150 bags of food items that were stored for sale.

Efforts made to get the Niger State Police Command to comment proved abortive as the PPRO was unavailable to respond to his calls or messages. In Enugu State, kidnappers took the body of one Israel Ugwuanyi hostage while it was being moved from Lagos to his village at Ameze Owerre,  Umabor community in Nsukka Local Government Area for burial. Kidnapped alongside the corpse were family members escorting the body home. It was gathered that the incident occurred along 9th Mile Road, Umuoka community in Udi on Sunday.

According to a family source: “His corpse was on its way from Lagos yesterday (Sunday) when the vehicle conveying it was halted by kidnappers and people in the vehicle alongside the driver were all kidnapped at Umuoka Udi LGA of Enugu State”. Our correspondent gathered that the kidnappers had since established contact with the family and demanded a N50 million ransom. The source said: “They called Monday morning to inform us to look for N50 million. Our fear is that the corpse will decompose before they release them.

“We don’t know what to do because our community people in Lagos spent so much money on the sickness of Israel.” She called on the security agencies and the state government to come to the aid of the people to save those in captivity. The Police were yet to comment on the incident at the time of filing this report. In Imo State, the traditional ruler of Okolochi in Owerri West Local Government Area, Eze Chukwuemeka Amadi, narrowly escaped being kidnapped on Friday.

The monarch was returning from a visit to one of his sons in Owerri, at about 5pm, when kidnappers suddenly emerged from the bush and blocked his way along the  Ihiagwa-Okolochi-Eziobodo Road. The hoodlums, it was learnt, flagged down the vehicle, but the driver pretended to obey their instructions and slowed down. When the kidnappers relaxed, the driver quickly fired up the vehicle and escaped. Gas Amadi, a former House of Assembly member, an indigene of the community, confirmed the incident and described it as a horrible experience.

Source: The Nation