Plight of Victims in Plateau State: Urgent Assistance Needed

The relentless killings in Plateau State have plunged victims, particularly women, into a state of despair and hardship.

Each time violence erupts, women are forced to flee with their children and belongings, struggling to escape the horrors of war. Unlike men who can escape barefoot, women and girls in these war-torn areas face additional challenges as they must cater to the essential needs of their families while evading the bullets of assailants.

Women have consistently borne the brunt of the senseless killings in Plateau State. They are either slain alongside their children or left widowed by the loss of their husbands. Displaced from their homes, they endure further trauma in the form of inadequate access to basic necessities, including sanitary pads. Recent assaults in the region have left women in disarray, desperate for assistance to regain some semblance of stability and return home. Additionally, they grapple with unfavorable weather conditions that deteriorate their health. Compounded by their inability to access fresh and uncontaminated food from their abandoned farms, which have lain dormant for months due to the attacks, their plight is exacerbated.

Beginning on May 15, 2023, suspected Fulani mercenaries launched a weeklong series of attacks on nearly 30 communities in Mangu Local Government Area. Tragically, over 100 people, mostly women and children, lost their lives, and more than 10,000 individuals were displaced. The affected communities include Gwet, Mutong, Bwor, Komtul, Vodni, Dangdai, Changal, Kombili, Washna (Jwakchom), Larkas, Ajing, Fushi, Bin Kwahas, Manja, Murish, Dungmunan, Kyampus, Jwakmaitumbi, Kantoma, Alohom, Gaude, Danhausa, Kikyau, Gongong, Gudum, Tyop, Farin Kasa, Kubwat, and Fungzai.

Currently, there are approximately 879 men, 2,177 women, and 2,966 children sheltered in a few camps in Barkin Ladi and Mangu LGAs. An additional 1,977 individuals seek refuge in churches and school halls in Jos metropolis and Pankshin LGA. The number of those seeking temporary accommodation with relatives and friends in nearby Bogoro, Bauchi State, and other areas is yet to be determined. The Mwaghavul Development Association, representing the people of Mangu, has provided some support but appeals to both the Federal and state governments to ensure the provision of essential needs for the survivors. Sir Joseph Gwankat, the National President of the association, also implored the government to take responsibility for providing for school children who have been unable to sit for the Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations due to the attacks in Mangu.

Gwankat said: “People have been displaced and government must take immediate steps to facilitate the return of all persons that have become refugees in different IDP camps by reconstructing their homes and providing security. Otherwise, they won’t be able to go back and continue with their farming activities. NEMA/SEMA must urgently mobilise resources immediately to address the situation of the victims.”

Attackers pilfer valuables

The Plateau State Baptist Conference, which reportedly lost no fewer than 50 members, including a high-ranking Pastor, has been able to locate 500 displaced members and has given them so assistance to restart their lives again following their predicament in their hands of their attackers. Rev. Koeleh Saleh, who heads the church in Plateau State said: “In Kantoma, we lost 31 members, including a moderator. Twenty-three women were made widows on account of the attack. We lost nine members in Jwak Maitumbi and a member in Kombili. Most of our members are displaced in over 10 local churches. In the Jos metropolis, a family is hosting between 10 to 20 people and we have over 200 displaced persons in Jos. We have 50 in Barkin Ladi, over 200 in Salama Baptist Church in Mangu, and 78, including 44 little children at Bwarak, Pankshin.

“It is so terrible that people have been displaced, they have buried the dead they can bury and they want to go back to their homes but they can’t… The disturbing thing is that people who attacked have come around to remove their doors, and zinc that was not burnt. This is a farming season, and the government should think of returning these people to go to their farms. Whatever we are doing now will not be forever. Government should wake up to their responsibility and ensure a safe place for these people to return to their farms.” 

Encouragement: An American Baptist Missionary, Angel Oswood who comforted the survivors said: “We are glad to be here partnering with our conference and to help where we can. The Church outside Nigeria has not left Christians here alone, they are giving and they are praying; God is in control and he is going to work things out but we don’t know how. We want our Nigerian brothers and sisters to know that they are not alone, we will do what God calls us to do to try to alleviate some of the sufferings that are going on.”   

Survivors speak

Godsave Markus from Kantoma stated: “We saw how they attacked our neighbouring villages, Jwak and Murish. It was raining and that was between 3 pm and 4 pm. One of our brothers who ran to alert us was killed on the way. As we went to pick the body, we didn’t know that the Fulanis were close to the body. They surrounded us and we ran in confusion. Many people were killed because they were tired and couldn’t run fast. We narrowly escaped as they burned and stole our property. I want to return so that I can go to farm because when we don’t farm, we don’t have food and money.”

Chamun Lazarus noted: “My pregnant mother, some other family members and I were together when we saw people running. We were told that Fulanis were attacking neighbouring villages and were coming towards ours. We wanted to run but we could not leave my mother alone(sobs). We later escaped with her but they killed my step-father and my brother. Our means of livelihood are in the farms; those who survived should be assisted to return to the village so that we go to farm.” 

Grace Panmun added as she lamented: “Some of us ran to Bogoro in Bauchi State. This thing is about land-grabbing and if we are not safe and we don’t have access to land, how do we farm? This is also economic sabotage to weaken the economic power of the people”.