Published 18th Aug, 2021

By Gabriel Ogunjobi

Over 70 people have been killed between July and August in a series of attacks within the Miango District of Bassa Local Government Area, FIJ can report.

Past reports have revealed that the crisis between the nomadic Fulani herdsmen, who are mostly Muslims, and Christian farmers have rocked Plateau for decades.

The most recent attack was Tuesday evening. According to a statement jointly signed by Danjuma Auta Dickson, the Secretary of Irigwe Development Association, and Ezekiel Bini, the National President of the Irigwe Youth Movement Association, five people were killed by Fulani militia at Tafi Gana of Miango and four other community residents are yet to be found.

On Sunday, FIJ reported the gruesome murder of travellers at Rukuba Road from Bauchi State.

A source in Miango told FIJ that “between July and August, over 70 people have died in this current crisis and 60 people are currently hospitalized”.

“Up to 3,000 houses have been burnt in Miango, over 5,000 households, with an estimated population of 30,000 persons, have also been displaced just between late July and August,” he said. “These Internally Displaced Persons are now scouting in Bokoru, Jos and other communities around.”

FIJ learnt that Miango, which is the hotbed of the crisis, does not have any IDP camps for the people who have been rendered homeless.

“They only come back to Miango from the neighbouring communities to take food every day,” the source noted.

“Apart from the challenges on the feeding cost, the bigger problem would be providing security for the IDPs who are already scared of any midnight attack if they were confined to a particular location.”

Gabriel Ubah, the spokesman of the state police command, has not answered FIJ’s calls or responded to the text message seeking comments on the most recent attack.

However, in a reaction to the recent attacks, Simon Lalong, the Governor of Plateau State, had insisted that killings of innocent people, no matter their background, would not be tolerated.

Frank Mba, the spokesman to the Nigeria Police Force, had also announced the arrest of 20 suspects in connection to the Saturday attack on Muslim travellers.

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