At a time the outrage trailing the Christmas eve massacre of no fewer than 195 persons in Plateau State is yet to abate, with none of the perpetrators apprehended, the Middle-Belt Forum, MBF, said yesterday that the insurgents have written Pushit community in Mangu LGA on a fresh attack.
Invaders have threatened fresh attacks on a community in Plateau State on Friday (today), barely four days after they killed 195 persons in 17 communities across the state.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Middle Belt Forum, Stanley Kavwam, in an interview with Arise Television on Thursday, said the terrorists had sent a letter of an imminent attack to the Pushit community in the Mangu Local Government Area, where he hailed from.
When asked about the impending attack on the Pushit community, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Alabo Alfred, told The PUNCH that the command was aware of the threat.’’We have intelligence, but we are working on it “the PPRO assured.
Also, some residents in Pushit, who spoke to one of our correspondents on Thursday, said the villagers were aware of the threat letter by the terrorists.
According to them, since the information of the impending attack spread, the residents no longer sleep at night.
Villagers beg govt
One of the villagers, Joshua Bukat, in an interview with The PUNCH, said “ Here in the village, we have been living in fear since the news spread that terrorists are planning to launch a fresh attack in our community. From the letter, the terrorists said we would be running in the street with chicken and Christmas rice in our hands.
“As a matter of fact, we hardly sleep because we don’t know when they will come. This is not the first time they would send such letters of their plans to attack and on several occasions, they had carried out their threat. So, please help us to tell the government and the security agents to come to our rescue. They should act quickly to save lives and not take the threat for granted.”
The shocking revelation is coming as the United Nations demanded a probe of the Christmas Eve attack in which 195 persons were killed in 17 villages in the Barkin Ladi, Mangu, and Bokkos local government areas of the state.
The PUNCH reported that the well-coordinated attacks also displaced over 10,000 persons, many of whom were presently taking refuge in churches, mosques, schools, and private residences.
The Chairman of Community Peace Observers in the Bokkos Local Government Area, Kefas Mallai, on Tuesday, said over 150 persons were killed by the gunmen.
Mallai also said information indicated that the gunmen were still attacking some villages, adding that over 10,000 people were displaced by the attacks.
On Wednesday, there were reports that the death toll had increased to 195.
The incident attracted strong condemnation by President Bola Tinubu, prominent groups, and individuals including northern governors and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
In an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, state Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, disclosed that no fewer than 64 communities in the state had been displaced by terrorists who were occupying schools in the local government area.
The governor noted the flaws in the state’s security architecture, which he said required some tinkering.
President Bola Tinubu, in a statement, condemned the attacks and ordered a manhunt for the killers.
Describing the incident as a “primitive and heinous” attack, Tinubu said, “These envoys of death, pain, and sorrow will not escape justice.”
Speaking in an interview on Arise television on Thursday, the Middle Belt Forum Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Kavwam said the terrorists were planning to launch an attack on his village, Pushit, on December 29 (today).
Kavwam claimed the military was aware of the identity of the attackers and their hideouts, adding that the security agencies knew that an attack would be launched before the Christmas Eve massacre.
He stated, “While driving down from Jos to this place, I received a call. A letter was sent to my village by the terrorists that the attackers were going to invade on the 29th of this December (today).
We are working to scale up intelligence gathering – FG
…The Federal Government says it is working to scale up intelligence gathering and response to crisis in any part of the country.
Minister of Information and National Orientation,, Mohammed Idris, condoled with families of the victims of the attacks. “At the federal level, all hands are on deck across the security and intelligence agencies, to scale up intelligence-gathering and crisis-response efforts,” Idris said.
“The federal government of Nigeria strongly condemns the recent killings in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State.
“We would like to reiterate the commitment of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration to securing every inch of Nigerian territory, and ensuring that all forms of criminality by terrorists, bandits and militants are tackled boldly and decisively.
We’ll implement President’s directive – Police Affairs Minister
However, Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Geidam, yesterday assured that President Tinubu’s directive will be implemented to the letter.
Geidam, who condoled with the families, government and people of Plateau State over the killings, said the barbaric action was perpetrated by enemies of the country, noting that the President had directed that no stone should be left unturned in apprehending both the collaborators and prime suspects involved in this crime against humanity
In a statement, Geidam said: “The loss of innocent lives is a tragedy that touches us all, and we stand united with the people of Plateau State during this difficult time.
“The actions of these enemies of the country have caused immense pain and sorrow, and we extend our sympathies to the affected families and communities.
“The leadership of the police ecosystem is resolute in its commitment to bringing the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice.
“In line with the directives of Mr. President, we will leave no stone unturned in apprehending both the collaborators and prime suspects involved in this crime against humanity.
“Our collective resolve is to ensure that those responsible face the full force of the law.
“It is our firm belief that by standing together, cooperating with security agencies, and providing vital information, we can assist in arresting these callous criminals who are currently on the run.
“We understand the gravity of the security challenges facing Plateau State and the entire country, and we assure you of our continued collaboration with other stakeholders to address these issues.
‘Despite this tragic incident, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ongoing reforms within the police, aimed at enhancing professionalism and the delivery of top-notch service to the Nigerian people.”
