traumatised by these bloody attack on communities in Langtang

It is believed that the death toll has increase in an attack on communities in Langtang South Local Government of Plateau State has risen to 70, and this is in addition to the over 7,000 that have been displaced.

Hon. Beni Lar, Member representing Langtang North/South Constituency in the House of Representatives, who confirmed this during a visit to the affected parts, said several people were still missing.

She said, “From what I gathered, the Divisional Crime Officer is still missing, seven thousand people were displaced, while almost 70 lost their lives.

“The intention of the attackers was to wipe out the entire inhabitants of the villages for no just reason.”

A farmer recounts ordeal in magama village
A 65years old man,Habila Dachung ,who lost his aged wife in the attack in Riyom has alleged that fulani heldsmen and men in military uniforms are the prime suspects in the langtang south attack ."l saw them in military uniform" he said"these armed fulanis accompanied by soldiers stormed our village to kill our people just like that,their gun woke us from sleep at about 2:30am.he also recounted the same attack during the previous years on farmers who had opposed the invasion of their farmlands by the heldsmen and their cattles.farmers in magama village,bolgang village, kai village, riyom and karkashi village were attacked and killed alongside their families for resisting the encroachment on their land and especially when they found out they were Christian farmers. Habila Dachung a member of the farmers group in the villages of langtang south said other members of the group;David kitung ,Danladi biu , Miri Dacha,kayode oyelami,victor dachum , Joseph kuka ,silas Matthew and some other members have either been killed or kidnapped .He said"some of the young farmers are still being hunted either by kidnapping their family or killed"because they are seen as being opposive and not submissive.while attempt by our reporters to sought an interview with the local govt area chairman proved abortive,a related account was given by Rev.Johnson kikem of COCIN ,LANGTANG,Nigeria,who also confirmed that farmers,women and children who are mostly affected are Christians and that some are still being targeted because of their Christian Faith .He stressed further that some of them(farmers & villagers) has fled the areas to save their lives ,while confirming that Rev Nandip Miri,a COCIN pastor also lost his father and brother to the fulani heldsmen attack.
   The police commissioner, Olakpe, said: “From the report I got from my men, 20 additional bodies have been recovered and the DCO is still missing.

  “But we have not concluded that anything has happened to him. We are still looking for him and hoping that he will be found.”

Similarly, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Olakpe, confirmed that the District Crime Officer, DCO, for the area was still missing and that 20 more corpses had been recovered.

Beni described the attack as barbaric, noting that they were able to carry out the attack because of the vulnerability of the villages, while addressing displaced persons in different camps at Mabudi, headquarters of the local government. She also addded that security men were unable to gain access to the area because of the bad roads and appealed to government to attend to them to open up the locality.