Nigerian Eye
‘How terrorists slaughtered my wife, daughter, son, his wife, two-month-old baby’ – Plateau attack survivor
A survivor of last Saturday’s attack on Kum village in the
Rim District of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, where Fulani
terrorists massacred nine members of one family, has narrated his ordeal, which
he described as horrific and dreadful.
The victim, Mr James Yohanna, who was one of only three
people who survived the deadly attack, told journalists on Friday that the
assailants targeted his household during the attack and slaughtered his wife,
son, his four-year-old daughter, and his two-month-old granddaughter.
Yohanna, who said he escaped death by the whiskers during
the invasion, said the assailants who spoke Fulfulde, the language of the
Fulani tribe, deliberately targeted his household because he is related to the
Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations, COCIN, for Barkin Ladi
LGA, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo.
While narrating his ordeal, Yohanna said when the terrorists
invaded his household, they demanded the whereabouts of the “father” of the
family before they started shooting.
Recalling the horrendous ordeal, Yohanna said:
“At about 11:30 p.m., I was in my room. Then I heard dogs
barking uncontrollably, and the next thing I heard was boots tramping. After a
while, I heard loud bangs at my brother’s door, and soon after, I heard my
brother scream.
“It turned out they were trying to break into the house, but
he ran outside. They shot him in the arm and leg. However, he managed to hide
before the person chasing him could get close.
“Then, after about 30 minutes, I heard the dogs barking
again, and then the sounds of boots again. Then I heard gunshots at my son’s
door, followed by the sound of the door being kicked open. I heard my son
saying, ‘Please don’t harm us.’
“But a male voice with a Fulani accent said in Hausa, ‘today
you will learn a hard lesson’ after demanding the ‘father of the house.’ When
my son failed to answer, they shot him, shot his wife, and shot his
two-month-old baby.
“At that point, I threw my six-year-old daughter through the
window and followed, running aimlessly into the bush as one attacker fired
several shots at me.
“When he lost me, he went back into the house, and I tried
to crawl back, but before I got 20 meters close, they went to the next room
where my six daughters were sleeping, and I heard automatic gunfire everywhere,
followed by silence.
“Then they started marching out of the house. One of my
daughters, a four-year-old who was apparently terrified, screamed, and one of
the attackers marched back and shot her.
“By the time soldiers arrived, and I was able to make it
back to the house, my wife, my son, and his wife and two-month-old daughter,
and my six daughters lay dead.”
8 hours ago
