A victim of the horrific christmas eve attack in Plateau State, Mr Kazeem Lawal, has narrated how he lost his Son, cousin and valuable items including his house during the incident.
On December 24, gunmen overran more than 17 local villages in Mangu, Barkin, Ladi, Bokkos, and and two other districts, burning down houses and killing people.
As at the time of this report, over 100 people have been confirmed dead while several people are still in the hospital
Lawal whose house is in one of the villages on Barkin Ladi told journalists that apart from losing 2 people in the incident, house and cars were burnt down by the assailant.
Also his wife, Yemisi Lawal said the attack was carried out by the religion extremists who have been terrorising the area for some years
According to her, i am a christian and my husband is a muslim, we are happy together but one thing i noticed is that some people are bent on eliminating christians in that area and they have long been threatening and making attempts to attack churches
On that fateful day “I have left for church with my two children while my husband, his cousin and his first child born by another woman were at home, we scamper for safety when we started hearing gunshots , after about an hour people started calling their loved one, my husband’s line was not reachable and i was afraid he might have been attacked i left my children in the church and manage to get to my house on getting home i saw my husband crying every thing has been razed our house, cars even everything.
It was later he told me that his cousins and son were shot and they didn’t survive the attack, i was embittered and panic at the same time, i wept honestly, it was the saddest day of my life, i am yet to recover from the schock,
Also, Lawal who was emotionally down said ‘ i don’t know where to start, cars were burnt my house everything gone, i have nor change clothes since three days now, only God can help me because i am saddened and downcasted by this development.
” We left southwest due to an attack on my father and mother by some members of his family over chieffaincy matter and land dispute, now here that we call home is no longer habitable, the government must do something to help the victims
Recall that the State Commissioner of Police, Okoro Alawari, disclosed that 96 persons were killed while 221 houses were set ablaze during the Christmas Eve attacks by gunmen in Plateau State.
