The reign of terror in some parts of Plateau State is startling and unfathomable, given the number of people being killed in awful ways. Many communities have become easy targets for terrorists, who frequently carry out lethal attacks that kill residents and destroy property. Communities are turning into jungles for human hunts due to the startlingly high murder rate. It appears there is no end in sight to the terror.

Residents of many rural communities in Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Jos South, Mangu and Bassa local government areas of the state have been living under a permanent dark cloud, while those responsible for the crushing wave of violence are still on the rampage, moving from one community to another.

Like predators, the attackers hunt down and kill innocent people under the cover of darkness.

Last week, the rampaging terrorists, in large numbers, invaded the quiet village of Bin Per in Kobun District of Mangu Local Government Area of the state and unleashed terror on the inhabitants, murdering 24 people, mostly children and women, in their sleep and plunging the village and neighbouring communities into deep sorrow.

When the Saturday Tribune visited the village over the weekend, survivors of the horrific incident and residents of nearby communities were still in mourning and agony. Most of the residences where the killings occurred had been abandoned, with only a few security personnel patrolling the affected area.

Seventy-year-old Michael Musa, who said he survived by the whiskers, described the attack as a cruel shock to the locals and their neighbours. Michael, who emphatically stated that the heinous act was perpetrated by Fulani terrorists, said the locals had coexisted peacefully with the Fulani for a very long time and had accepted them without restrictions.

“We are shocked that our accommodation of them might have had the opposite effect. We had no idea that the Fulani, who have been here for a long time, speak our language perfectly and have married our daughters, could be collaborators in this incident.”

Narrating how the heinous atrocity was committed, he said the perpetrators, whom he described as Fulani terrorists, invaded Bin Per community on motorcycles at about 9:45 p.m. on Monday, shooting indiscriminately in all directions.

According to him, the local vigilantes were unable to stop them because of the sophisticated weapons they carried. He claimed that the attackers moved from house to house, shooting victims at close range and attacking them with machetes to ensure that they did not survive.

He said the deadly operation lasted more than two hours, with the sound of gunshots filling the air throughout, adding that security personnel were unable to arrive on time because of the poor condition of roads in the area.

“It was a coordinated onslaught. They operated without compassion. There was a moment when an entire family was wiped out, while some other people lost their children and wives,” he said.

Speaking with the Saturday Tribune, another survivor, Rachael Dasher, who lost her spouse, children and other relatives, said the affected community was like a lone tree left standing after a devastating forest fire. Beyond the losses suffered by individual families, she said everyone in the community was yet to come to terms with what had happened to their loved ones.

A woman who simply identified herself as Talatu said the terrorists entered the village covertly and dispersed to different homes, where they used dangerous weapons, particularly daggers, to attack the inhabitants at close range.

A 53-year-old man, Sunday Marem, who lost his wife and two children, said the rampaging terrorists shot and slaughtered his family members. He said despite their pleas, the terrorists, who he claimed spoke Fulani throughout the operation, refused to listen and went on to kill them brutally.

“They arrived in our community at about 9:45 p.m. Before then, I had left my house to join the vigilante group of which I am a member. I simply closed the door with the intention of returning shortly. We were on regular patrol when random gunshots suddenly filled the air. I left the group and hurried home to be with my family.

“The attackers aimed at me as I ran home, but the bullets missed me. They continued shooting as I ran. When I entered my house, I saw them all in a pool of blood, all dead, with the exception of my youngest child, Nanfa, who is just over a year old. He was wailing, with blood all over him.

“I immediately lost control of myself and became confused. The raging gunfire prevented me from leaving immediately. I later took my surviving child and went out when the gunfire stopped, seeking refuge with my neighbour, who had gone through a similar ordeal.

“Up to this moment that I am talking with you, I am yet to come to terms with the reality that my wife and two children are gone,” he lamented.

Ishaku explained: “On Monday night, at about 9:43 p.m., gunmen arrived here in large numbers to attack us. Unfortunately, they killed my three sons, who were between the ages of six and 14 years, and injured my wife, who is now receiving treatment in the hospital. Approximately 24 persons were killed in this attack. They broke into my house and slaughtered three of my children.

“I was travelling home when this terrible incident occurred, and I heard gunfire coming from all directions. So, along with a few other people who had fled the neighbourhood, I sought refuge in a maize farm.

“However, when I returned home, I encountered people attempting to rescue the situation without success. We are pleading with the state government to intervene and at least grade the roads leading to this community so that security personnel can have quick access to this place whenever the need arises.”

She said: “I was not present when this incident occurred. I lost my aged mother, two brothers and their children, who were brutally murdered in their rooms. Another of my brothers was shot in several places and is now receiving treatment at the hospital.

“I don’t know where to begin. This is a cruel act that will take a long time to forget. A family of five has been reduced to two. The killing was systematic; the assailants targeted families, and all those slaughtered were related. But it is unfortunate that those who aided the attackers live among us.”

The majority of the people who spoke during the visit of Senator Diket Plang to the community urged the Federal Government to expedite action on the establishment of state police, saying this would help reduce incessant attacks on communities and enable people to better defend their communities against terrorist attacks.

The senator, however, assured them that there was no going back on state police, saying the National Assembly and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu were working to ensure that state police became a reality as part of measures to curb insecurity in the country.

Also during his visit to the affected community, Governor Caleb Mutfwang assured the people that his administration would adopt additional strategies and strengthen existing security measures to prevent further attacks on vulnerable communities. He stressed that the government would not relent in its determination to secure the state and create an environment conducive to the prosperity and well-being of its people.

He said the attack occurred at a time when the government had reviewed its security architecture in collaboration with security agencies, including the new General Officer Commanding 3 Division, Nigerian Army, and other relevant authorities, with renewed focus on protecting lives and property and preventing attacks on vulnerable communities.

“This is not an attack on the community alone; it is an attack on me. I pray that God will grant you peace and comfort. The police have said that some persons have been arrested, and we will follow the matter to its logical conclusion.

“We will do everything within our powers to ensure that you remain on your land. Nobody will take over your land,” the governor assured. (Tribune)