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Nation
Plateau crisis: Family wiped out, man beheaded as CAN chair accuses military of aiding killing of Christians
Published
1 week ago
on
January 25, 2024
By
Obinna Ezugwu
The religious crisis in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State on Wednesday, took a more dangerous turn as mobs went on rampage, burning Christian worship centres, and killing just about anyone within reach.
The latest violence follows the Christmas Eve attacks on communities in three local government areas of the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen in which not less than 200 people were killed, according to several accounts.
The Gunmen had stormed Ndun, Ngyong, Murfet, Makundary, Tamiso, Chiang, Tahore, Gawarba, Dares, Meyenga, Darwat, and Butura Kampani villages in the Barkin Ladi, Mangu and Bokkos areas of the state, burning houses and shooting residents.
On Wednesday (yesterday), a graphic video of a young man being beheaded by a suspected Muslim mob trended on Wednesday, even as a family of five, including both parents and three children were killed by the assailants, witnesses said.
This is as over 30 persons were killed in the early hours of same Wednesday by gunmen who attacked Kwahaslalek village in the restive local government.
Reports said the victims who were mostly women and children, had run to the house of a community leader in the area on Tuesday night for safety following an earlier unrest during the day in Mangu town when the gunmen surrounded them and killed all of them
The Chairman of Mwaghavul Development Association, Joseph Gwankat, who confirmed the killing, said it was callous.
“I couldn’t sleep last night as a result of what happened in Mangu town during the day yesterday. Now, I have just been told Kwahaslalek village was attacked last night and about 30 people were killed .
“From what I was told, the unrest in Mangu town yesterday created fears in many communities. Some people in the village went and evacuated their loved ones and assembled them in a place where they thought was safe.
“So in the night, the killers went to Kwahaslalek village where the people mostly women and children were assembled and killed all of them,” he said
The chairman who condemned the killing added, “I was told that no security was on ground to save the villagers. This act is pure wickedness. How can people who are in their villages be targets of constant attacks and killings without anything being done to stop the perpetrators?”
The spokesman for the state police command, Alabo Alfred, said he had yet to get the report of the incident when contacted.
The Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, declared a 24-hour curfew on the Mangu LGA on Tuesday.
He said the decision followed the deteriorating security situation in the area after an unrest left several houses, including churches and mosques, burnt down.
However, the curfew failed to prevent the rampaging mob who went on a killing sore on Wednesday.
CAN chairman accuses military of aiding killing of Christians
Meanwhile the chairman Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Mangu Local Government Area, Rev Timothy Daluk, on Wednesday, accused the Nigerian military of supervising the killings of Christians and destruction of properties in Plateau state.
Daluk made the accusations in a video that was made public on social media platforms on Wednesday.
“I am here to report the situation happening in Mangu Local Government for the whole world to understand. What is happening in Mangu at this particular point in time, the military are the ones sending our people away for the militia to burn their houses,” he said with agitation.
The CAN chairman accused the military of suppressing Christian-dominated areas while Muslims wreaked havoc on them.
“At this particular point in time, they have sent every Christian away from the new market, thereby leaving the Muslims to come and burn their houses. They set the curfew. The curfew is only restricted to only people within Mangu – within the Christian domain. Within the Muslim domain, they are free to move and do whatever they want to do.
The Church leader also accused the military of killing youths while accusing fake soldiers of being responsible for the killings.
“And not only that, the military has killed three of our young men of which I know. One is before my church. They killed one yesterday, and I reported to the security, and he said it was fake soldiers,” he said.
“At first, he said I was lying until I proved to him beyond a reasonable doubt then he finally said it was fake soldiers. I said no, it was not fake soldiers; it was a real soldier who killed him. Finally, they made a signal to the soldier, and he disappeared from the scene,” he added.
He further accused the military of switching off their phones as tensions heightened within Mangu and its environs.
“Now that I am speaking to you, all of them have switched off their phones, and they allowed the place to be burned down and raided by the people. And this is what is going on now that I am speaking to you.
“People around Gindiri junction, (called other locations that were inaudible) their houses are now ablaze because the soldiers protected them and allowed them to burn people’s houses. They are not doing anything about it,” he said.
Frustrated about the military’s alleged nonchalant attitude towards the crisis in Mangu, the CAN Chairman said they have had enough and do not want military presence anymore.
“We don’t want the military in Mangu Local Government. They should pack their loads and go. We don’t want them,” he said.
“We don’t need them and we don’t want them. Because the plan, they have been bought. They have been paid with a price to carry out their duty. I am calling on the world to understand that this thing should stop, and people should come to our rescue to save us if not, that is an evil plan for them to destroy Mangu Local Government. Because the governor is from here, and we are not going to allow it,” he added.
“The military should keep on killing us. We accept they should kill us, but we are not going to stop. I will organise the whole Christians in Mangu Local Government Area. We are going to fight. We are not going to stop, and that is what I said,” he said.
“Enough is enough. We have cried, but the government is not listening. If they switch off their phones, then where else do we take our cries to?” he quizzed.
