Nine victims of a terror attack in Dorowa Babuje community, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, were on Tuesday laid to rest in a mass burial conducted in the community.
The burial ceremony attracted a large gathering of grieving family members, community leaders, religious figures, and concerned residents who came to pay their last respects to the deceased.
The Chairman of the Regional Church Council of the Church of Christ in Nigeria, Ezekiel Dachomo, who officiated the ceremony, condemned the killings while lamenting the calamity that had befallen the people.
Dachomo called for the protection of Christian communities facing persecution and urged forgiveness for the perpetrators.
“The need for protection of Christians and Christian communities that are facing persecution is paramount. We need to pray for the widows and those who lost their breadwinners. We also need to forgive even the bandits,” Dachomo said.
National President of the Berom Youths Moulders Association, Solomon Mwantiri, expressed frustration over the attack, saying early warnings were ignored.
“Today, we are burying nine victims of terror attacks and two will be buried in Jol tomorrow. This is heartbreaking and too much for our people. Before this attack, we knew that an early warning had been given and nothing seemed to have been done about it. We are appealing for the relocation of the Operation Enduring Peace and the movement of the same security operatives to the Fulani settlement. For all these while, security has been stationed in our areas and the situation has kept deteriorating without any improvement despite the fact that we commended the rapid response of the security agents in this particular incident of Dorowa Babuje.
“But why won’t the security be moved to the Fulani camp so that from there, where the attack is being launched, if the security men are there, will they say no to their presence? I also appeal that all these military drones that are hovering over Plateau, why won’t they have 24 -hour concentration in the Fulani settlement where these attacks are coming from?
“And also, open grazing is a problem. The government must wake up and ensure that they enforce the ban on open grazing because that has always been a ploy for killing. They(the killers) will first make an allegation of killing and then use it as a ploy to descend on the innocent people and carry out a deadly attack on them,” Mwantiri said.
Plateau State Commissioner for Environment, Climate Change, and Mineral Development, Peter Gwom, condemned the attack, saying, “I’m pained by what happened. We are trying our best as a government. Let’s support the government in fighting terrorism.”
Gwom urged residents to take precautions and support the government’s efforts to restore peace. “Let’s be conscious about what’s happening. If we need to go home early for now, let’s do that,” he said.
Our Correspondent reports that solemn prayers were offered for the repose of the victims’ souls, amid an atmosphere of tension and calls for justice by the grieving community.
Recall that on February 3, more than 160 people were killed and several others injured or abducted following a terrorist attack on the Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.
On Wednesday, the Deputy Chairman of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, Gwong Gwya Song, revealed that 30 indigenes were killed and over 500 displaced following the terrorist.
He said, “For now, the number of persons displaced so far is 707. Some of them have returned home, but some are still stranded.
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