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By Charles Nwabardi
About 70 persons have been reportedly killed by Fulani bandits in Jebbu Miango and Kwall Districts of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The National Publicity Secretary of Irigwe Development Association (IDA), Davidson Malison disclosed this on Thursday when journalists visited the scenes of the fresh attacks.
He said the deceased were killed during a sustained attack that lasted four days from Saturday to Wednesday without the intervention of the police, Operation Safe Haven and any other security agencies.
Malison said over 300 houses were burnt including the residence of former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lumumba Da’ade and food items, generators, motorcycles and water pump machines were carted away.
He explained that the Fulani who came with vehicles, looted foodstuffs, house hold items and other valuables in most homes before setting ablaze.
“Within four days, over 70 persons have been killed, about 2500 houses have been burnt down and over 1000 hectares of farm land have been destroyed completely. Wee cannot even count house hold items. They are in an immeasurable form and have been completely carted away.
“Domestic animals in an estimated form worth N100 million have been looted by these herdsmen. You could see the damage that these herders have caused Irigwe nation is so unbearable. This is the first time that Irigwe land has faced this kind of dangerous attack,” he said.
He explained that the last attack which was massive took a different dimension as the herders did not only mean harm to Irigwe people but are in for an agenda to forcefully take over their ancestral land which he said they will resist without looking back.
Former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lumumba Da’ade whose house was burnt and household items and livestock carted away called on government and spirited individuals to assist the vulnerable communities.
“It is sad that these communities have been razed down and the people have been forced to dessert their ancestral homes with consequent pains and pressure that has caused the people.
“The most unfortunate aspect of the saga is that, the herders sustained attack on these villages for four days without repel by security forces despite the fact that the Jabbu Miango share fence with 3rd Amour Division of the Nigeria Army, where we have the GOC that doubles as the STF Commander.
“Most of these attacks were perceived, it is not as if we did not receive intelligence, even when you get information that the herders are coming, you make all contacts, there is no response and that is the most painful and that calls to the fact that whether we are parts of this nation where there is this selective response to crisis and attacks.”
“There was looting and the looting is beyond what you can carry by hand and they have to deploy the use of vehicles and they pass through roads which are manned by security officers. They burnt my house and went as low as carting away television sets, chickens and other valuables in the house before setting it ablaze,” he said
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