Fulani herdsmen are building houses in most of the communities they sacked during the June23/24 massacre in Plateau State, a new report has shown.
The report also indicated that security agencies were notified several hours before blood-thirsty herdsmen unleashed terror on several communities in the North-central state.
A non-government organisaion, Stephanos Foundation, released the report on Sunday, indicting Nigerian security agencies of negligence before and after the killings.
The report showed that community members called officials of the NGO and shared intelligence about impending attacks on their areas.
The group said it hurriedly contacted relevant security agencies and pleaded with them to take action to prevent the planned invasion.
Unfortunately, the report stated that none of the security agencies responded to the distress calls to stop the armed herdsmen from invading, killing and destroying properties.
The shocking revelation came weeks after heavily-armed herdsmen invaded 15 communities in Barkin Ladin, Riyom, Bokkos and Mangu local government areas of the state.
The herdsmen were said to have spent hours moving from one community to another, killing, plundering and destroying properties.
Survivors said security agencies only mobilised to the affected areas after the armed herdsmen might have exacted maximum damage on their communities.
A part of the report reads, “Prior to the attacks, Stefanos Foundation received alarm from various communities, and as usual, sent early warning messages to appropriate agencies of government.
“But despite the information given to the security agencies, the Fulani militia still carried out attacks on the communities.”
Shortly after the attack, the group said it dispatched a fact-finding team to assess the situation in the affected communities.
According to the report, the team met with victims in 13 locations across the state where they are living in internally displaced persons’ (IDP) camps.
The report indicated that 233 persons lost their lives during the butchery against the earlier figures released by the authorities.
It also stated that a total of 11, 515 persons are currently taking shelter in camps operated mostly by churches in the state.
The IDPs are located in Bokkos, Anguldi, Riyom, Fan, Lawuru, Barkin Ladi and Heipang, Ban and Gasa, Karos, Rampiang, Mangu and Dorowa Soho.
“Those that are badly injured are hospitalized in various medical centres in Jos, with their families left to struggle with the hospital bills,” the report continued.
“At the time of this report, our Fact Finding team observed that the affected areas were still vulnerable and insecure.
“According to them, there was a skeletal presence of security personnel in locations where the IDPs are situated, and attacks on villages are still silently on-going.
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“They also gathered that some of the communities attacked in the past have now been occupied by Fulani herdsmen, and from records, over 40 villages have now been completely deserted in Barkin Ladi and Riyom LGAs as a result of the continuous attacks.
“The locals, who are the inhabitants of these communities have no hope of returning to their homes, rather, new houses belonging to the Fulanis are now sighted to be springing up in the deserted communities.”
