From Jude Dangwam, Jos
Chairman of Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, Stephen Gyang Pwajok, has revealed that suspected Fulani bandits seized a government secondary school closed 10 years ago, following relentless attacks and are occupying the structure.
He said the suspected terrorists had also sacked the district head of Gwol from his ancestral abode while rendering the poultry farm of THE late Colonel Dungs down, seizing and converting it to their training ground.
Pwajok made this known yesterday to the Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, when he visited Nding village of Barkin-Ladi Local Government, where three women were killed while taking refuge in a safe house.
“This community has only four security personnel attached to it. One of them came a day before the attack, and during the attack, he was nowhere to be found, sir.
“The people who were mainly killed in this attack were women. They were trying to take refuge in nearby houses. The moment they heard the rumour of an attack; they assembled in one house first. On their way to the place, about seven of them were killed in one night.
“All these places with mountains, under this tree, those are the places that all these attackers do come from, both day and night. Farms belonging to the communities are always being destroyed.
“This is where all the bandits, or whatever we call them, are coming from. There is a Government Secondary School that has been closed down for the past 10 years. These people have taken over the building, and all of them are occupying the school.
“There is also a property belonging to the late Colonel Dungs over there, it is a poultry farm. They have made it a training ground. I would have loved it if we could go there, but it is not safe because the place is mountainous.
“In Barkin Ladi Local Government, this is one of the areas where communities are really suffering from killings and destruction of farmlands.
“What happened on Monday was that before the security agencies arrived here, the attackers had already done what they wanted to do and left after about an hour.
“This is the route the bandits often followed, and there is a village called Nyarowe here. They always attack that village too. Once they come, they pass through here and then move down to that place,” he lamented
Governor Mutfwang reassured the community of the government’s efforts to restore peace and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.
“Those who think Plateau will not know peace will themselves not know peace. By the grace of God, we will do all we can. I am not here to make empty rhetoric. We are already discussing this with the security agencies. Where there are gaps, we will identify them. Where there are challenges, we will address them. And we are strategizing on how to deal with those gaps and challenges.
“We have heard rumours about the possibility of one of the security personnel being involved in the killing of people. We are going to pursue that matter; it is only logical.
“But I must thank the security agencies that are doing their jobs very well. We must not turn our minds against the security agencies. Some of them, in fact, most of them, are doing very, very well.
“I know that what happened in Barkin-Ladi if the security agencies had not stepped in, Barkin-Ladi would have been a different story today. But they stepped in, and they did a great job. We must appreciate those who do good work.
“However, if there are fifth columnists or bad eggs among them, we will flush them out. I can assure you that the President and Commander-in-Chief will not accept or tolerate any bad eggs within the security forces. Once you point them out to us and we get credible evidence, we are going to take it up with their superiors,” he advised
He further appealed to the community, saying, “I would not want a situation where, because of one bad egg, we strain our relationship with the security agencies.
“I want to plead with us as a community, let us continue to encourage those who do good, and point out those who do bad. By the grace of God, we will take it up at the highest levels.”
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