Gunmen have killed four people, including a pastor and a 10-year-old child, during an attack on Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau state.
WuzupNigeria gathered on Wednesday that the 34-year-old pastor, one Mathew Tagwai, was recently posted to ECWA church in Ngbra Zongo community.
Pastor Tagwai and three others – Dih Sunday, 21; Duh Abba, 38, and Ishaku Abba, 10 – were killed when the gunmen raided the community on Tuesday night.
A resident, Chayi Biri, confirmed the incident to our correspondent in Jos on Wednesday.
Biri said he narrowly escaped being killed by the gunmen during the attack.
Narrating his experience, Biri said:
“The gunmen wore black clothes. I saw six of them. They came close to my room but God helped me to escape narrowly. But they killed four in the community including a pastor during the attack which lasted for about an hour. Thereafter they followed the back of our house and escaped towards Dusen Kaura village.”
Another resident, Gata Moses who lamented the killings blamed the attacks on the withdrawal soldiers and other security agents in the community
Moses said,
“This is the second time this community is experiencing a bloody attack within a space of two weeks. I believe that withdrawal of soldiers from the community contributed to series of these attacks in the community and neighbouring villages. The security agents are not doing enough to see an end to these attacks because non of the attackers who are known to be Fulani herdsmen has been arrested
” The government is silent over what is going in my community despite that we have government representatives in the district.
“The authorities must rise up to their responsibilities to protect lives and properties of the
“Security officials will only arrive after people have been killed and this has always been our experience including this latest killing. We have lost hope in this government, because they have failed us completely “
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Isaac Akinmoyede had visited the Council Area last week after seven persons were killed by the gunmen in one of the communities but the command is yet to respond to the latest killings at the time of filing this report.
