THE NATION
Heaps of lifeless bodies and injured victims are the pathetic sights that confront a visitor to the scenes of the victims gathered by the search and rescue team set up by the communities attacked by gunmen in Plateau State. Many of the bodies of the about 140 victims of the ugly incident were those of innocent children.
“The children were too innocent to be attacked by anyone for any reason. The only reason to kill such innocent children in a war situation is if genocide was the target of the attackers. So there is no doubt that the killings were purely genocide,” said Joshua Mangut in Bokkos.
Instead of the merriment, bliss and exchange of love that usually characterises Christmas and the Yuletide, many Plateau communities including Ndun, Ngyong, Murfet, Makundary, Tamiso, Chiang, Tahore, Gawarba, Dares, Meyenga, Darwat and Butura Kampani are left to agonise over the death of their loved ones.
Usually, from the 24th of December in such Christian communities, the mostly Christian families would have gathered all the foodstuffs and drinks they would need for the celebration of Christmas. This time, however, they were denied the opportunity to enjoy all that they had prepared for themselves.
As the people were about to go to bed in the hope of waking up to another Christmas day, the gunmen struck.
One of the victims, a 65-year-old housewife named Rebecca Maska, said: “We were in the house in Darunwat, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, preparing to celebrate Christmas.
“We had finished frying our meat and I started washing the rice and had parboiled it to make my cooking the next morning faster.
“After that, I set out to have a bath before going to bed. When I had finished bathing, I entered the room to dress up. Then I heard the sound of gunshots that moved rapidly close to the church.
“One of our little sons told me that we should get out and run. We ran into the next compound, which was a traditional ruler’s house, to hide there.
“Before we knew what was happening, the Fulani marauders had gained entry into the palace. We escaped through the back door and headed into the bush. We then hide in a place close to a river.
“Before I realised was happening, a marauder behind me greeted in Fulani and shot me in the thigh. I shouted and fell down, and was left in a pool of blood while my children fled in different directions.
“At that time, I could not stand up, and there was nobody to help me. I was there for more than three hours. That was when my son called the soldiers and told them that her mother was in the bush.
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