No fewer than nine persons including a pregnant woman in Hurra village of Irigwe Chiefdom in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, North Central Nigeria, have been killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
While condemning the attack, President of Irigwe Development Association, Sunday Abdu, who confirmed the attack to reporters on Wednesday, said the fresh onslaught against his people was unfortunate that such wickedness shouldn’t be allowed to take place in the community despite total lockdown imposed on the people by the State Government.
Survivors, mostly women and children, are reportedly moving out of the community in droves for fear of further attacks.
According to Abdu, the Hurra community woke up in the early hours of Wednesday morning with cries and wailings having discovered that nine persons including a pregnant woman have again been killed and more than 22 houses also burnt down by the attackers.
“The attackers attacked the village and burnt the entire houses in their usual way when the people were sleeping as a result of the lockdown. Nine people were killed including a pregnant woman, and these people do not obey the laws of the land; we have outlaws in Nigeria.”
A community leader, Moses Gata, said soldiers were withdrawn from Miango communities a few weeks ago after which the attackers dislodged four villages with dozens of people killed.
He confirmed that houses were burnt with valuables worth millions of naira and called on the people and government of the state for urgent assistance to rehabilitate the devastated communities.
The deceased persons were mostly children and women who have been given mass burial.
“Yes, the incident happened yesterday night; it was very unfortunate and when the incident occurred, we mobilised our men to the scene immediately,” said Major Ibrahim Shittu, spokesman of the special task force Operation Safe Haven (OPHS), confirming the incident.
“As we speak, the commander of Sector 3 who has been in the area and the commander of the Operation Safe Haven, Major General Chukwuemeka Okonkwo, has gone to the scene and addressed the people and assured them of more personnel to protect lives and property.”
Major Shittu said he did not have the casualty figure as of press time, saying, however, that military personnel were working round the clock to find the perpetrators of the deadly attack.
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