Plateau State Attacks: Aggressors removing doors, roofing sheets from homes of victims

The Plateau State Baptist Conference has decried the absence of security agents in attacked communities which has paved the way for the aggressors to pilfer valuables belonging to the survivors who had fled the communities.

The leadership of the Church which had lost over 50 members including a high-ranking Pastor, has also, so far identified over 500 displaced members in four centres in the Jos metropolis, Barkin Ladi, Mangu and Pankshin local government areas of the State.

Recall that the National President, of Nigeria Baptist Convention, Rev’d Dr. Isreal Akanji was also in Jos to identify with the victims through prayers and financial assistance.

Speaking shortly after delivering relief materials to the survivors in the four centres, Rev. Koeleh Saleh who heads the Church in Plateau State said, “… This unfortunate carnage affected the Baptist Church seriously, in Kantoma where we have a big church, we lost over 31 members including a Moderator. 23 women made widows on account of the attack. We lost nine members in Jwak Maitumbi, we lost a member in Kombili.

“Most of our members are displaced in over 10 local churches and people are taking refuge in different places. We have located four centres, in the Jos metropolis, a family is hosting between 10 to 20 people and we have over 200 displaced persons in Jos. We have 50 in Barkin Ladi, over 200 in Salama Baptist Church in Mangu and 78 including 44 little children at Bwarak, Pankshin. They are not in any school but we use our local churches to accommodate them.

“Within one week, we have spent about N2m to get relief materials but this is not enough. Our Baptist partners assisted us with N1m to make it N3m but it is still not enough. We provided foodstuffs, clothing, shoes, mats, blankets etc. “

Rev. Saleh added, “It is so terrible that such a thing would happen and people are left in pain, people have been displaced, they have buried the dead they can bury and they want to go back to their homes but they can’t. For those in Kantoma, they will gather at the junction to the village and the security personnel will escort them to quickly look around and see what they can pick and leave as the security also leaves.

“The disturbing thing is that people who attacked have come around to remove their doors, zinc that we’re not burnt. If we have leadership, the ruins should be protected. This is a farming season, and the government should think of returning these people to go to their farms. Whatever we are doing now will not be forever. Government should wake up to their responsibility and ensure a safe place for these people to return to their farms.”