Sixteen of the dead were from a single family-that of Pam Choji Pam,the councillor representing Takwok in the council. They include his wife, children, mother-in-law and other relations.
Over 20 people were killed overall in what is the latest in the long list of premeditated killings in the state.
The assailants were said to have invaded the town on Thursday morning, burning houses and killing indiscriminately, apparently to avenge the Sunday attack on Razak village in which seven people were killed.
Choji said gunmen even fired at the bereaved and sympathisers yesterday as they were burying the 18.
“Even while we were burying the dead, the Fulanis were shooting at us,” he said, adding:” We went round and found two more bodies and we are still searching the bush to see whether there are more in the bush.”
About 400 residents, mainly women and children, who were rendered homeless by the invaders, are taking refuge at the Barkin Ladi.
Tension was evident everywhere in the town yesterday after about 50 houses were burnt and the LG secretariat left in ruins.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Oluseyi Petirin, visited the scene yesterday to personally assess the situation but things almost got out of hand after a hit and run vehicle knocked down a student who, along with others from the State Polytechnic, Barkin Ladi, was protesting the violence in the state.
The student later died and the others blocked the highway in anger. The situation was said to be degenerating when the CDS’s convoy ran into the barricade.
The soldiers in the advance vehicles were said to have started shooting in the bid to disperse the protesters and pave the way for AM Peterin to pass. Two of the protesters were hit in the process and died.
The Special Task Force (STF) assigned to quell the violence, yesterday, paraded 163 suspects arrested in connection with the intermitent crisis.
It also seized from them assorted arms nd ammunition, including four barrel guns, two AK 47 rifles, nine locally made guns, two magazines of AK 47 ,52-7.62 special bullets,3-7.62MM special NATO bullets, 46 catridges,55 matchets,61 arrows,61 bows, three iron rods, 26 knives, seven diggers 12 axes and 12 spears.
The spokesman of the JTF, Captain Charles Ekeocha, told newsmen: “I can’t imagine civilians using AK 47 rifle while fighting one another. There is no kind of weapon that is not being used to attack fellow human beings-guns, cutlasses, knives, bow and arrow, catapult, clubs, spear - just name it.
“The remote cause of the violence was a case of cow rustling between the Beroms and the Fulanis. We were able to rescue 20 cattle and return them to the owner but people took the law into their hands to attack in revenge.”
The Chairman of Barkin Ladi LG, Mr.Emmanuel Loman, described the latest attack as ethnic cleansing.
“I really condemn this act. It is barbaric, I am not happy at all.
Despite the effort of the state government, the perpetrators still carried out their wicked act. I t is high time this nonsense stopped,”he said.
via The Nation
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