In spite of the dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed on Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, six persons were in the early hours of Sundayreportedly killed in an early morning attack on Rahwol-Fwi village, a community in Fan District.
The fresh attack underscored the inability of the security forces to restrain the wanton killing of citizens, particularly in the Northern parts of the country by bandits, a situation that would attract a full scale debate in the Senate Tuesday even as a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Ghali Na’Abba, and the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Archbishop Mathew Kukah, censored the federal government for its failure to contain the incessant mass slaughter.
The fresh attack, which an eyewitness said lasted for almost an hour before the intervention of the military, also had a Baptist Church, its pastorium, Government Hospital and 17 houses burnt.
Confirming the attack, the spokesman of the military Special Task Force (STF), Major Umar Adams, however, said only four persons died, adding that more personnel had been deployed in the community.
Adams said four persons had been arrested in connection with the attack, adding that the military high command had ordered the STF to relocate its headquarters from Jos to the troubled local council.
The attackers reportedly swooped on the village in motorcycles at about 2:45a.m. while the victims were asleep and wreaked havoc, escaping before the arrival of security operatives.
Police confirmation of the incident could not be obtained as the state command’s Public Relations Officer, Tyopez Terna, did not pick calls to his phone Sunday.
But the spokesman of Berom Youth Moulders (BYM), Solomon Mwantiyi, who condemned the attack, said Jol community of Riyom Local Government Area also came under heavy attacks the same night leading to destruction of farmlands.
Governor Simon Lalong had imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the three councils ravaged by gunmen two weeks ago, leaving behind over 100 deaths and scores of property burnt.
