A little over a week after bandits opened fire on merchants who were going home from a market in the Heipang hamlet of the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state of Plateau, they have struck again and taken the lives of two more merchants.
According to the information that was gathered, the most recent victims, all of whom were women, were on their way back from the Kinat Community when they were ambushed by the bandits on Friday evening.
The neighborhood of Halle Ward in the adjacent Mangu Local Government Area is where you’ll find the Kinat Community.
Moses Jat, a businessman who narrowly escaped the assault, spoke with The PUNCH on Saturday in Jos and confirmed the deaths.
According to Jat, “Fulani herdmen attacked some women of the Kinat community when they were returning from the market yesterday evening (Friday). They were responsible for the deaths of two people, and the injuries of two more people.
“Those who were injured are currently undergoing care at the hospital where they are being treated. But the question that needs to be answered is: what exactly did these individuals want that they were willing to attack even merchants on their way back from the market? Some of us were able to flee the assault thanks to the grace of our gracious God.
Because his phone line was disconnected, the Media officer for the Military Taskforce that is in charge of maintaining peace in the state, Captain Oya James, could not be reached to speak on the incident when our correspondent attempted to get in touch with him to question him about it.
In addition, attempts to speak with the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Alabo Alfred, about the incident were unsuccessful because his phone rang out when they were approached about it. This was another setback.