They were locked in the house and roasted like chickens when armed killer herdsmen invaded some communities of Foron District of Barkin-Ladi LGA

• I’m finished – Survivor

Gyang Bere, Jos

Even a heart made of stone will melt at the sight of the roasted corpse of a 67-year-old Adamu Gyang Wurim, a Pastor in charge of Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN), LCC Abonong, in Foron District of Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau state.

His wife, Jummai Adamu Gyang, 45, and their three children; Theophilus Adamu Gyang, 20, Dung Adamu Gyang, 12, and 8-year-old Wurim Adamu Gyang were equally not left out. They were locked in the house and roasted like chickens when armed killer herdsmen invaded some communities of Foron District of Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area on Tuesday August 29, 2018, leaving 10 persons dead, 95 houses burnt and 225 farms with crops awaiting harvest were looted and destroyed.

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Sadly, Pastor Gyang who was boxed in the house made frantic effort to shield his children from the flame of fire but had to let go at a point when the pains became unbearable. They cried and wailed aloud seeking for help but the killer herdsmen took total control of the area and prevented villagers from coming to render help.

Gory stories

Emotions and tempers went high the following morning when one of the survivors, Davou Dalyop, narrated the heartbreaking story of how he hid under grasses and watched the burning fire consumed the Pastor and his family of four without any intervention.

“It was like a dream that depicts hell on earth. It all started at about 7:38 p.m. when we finished eating our dinner and everybody was indoor in preparation to go out for vigilance duty. Suddenly, we had gunshots in the village and everybody was running for escape.

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“The gunmen were shooting and burning houses but the pastor and his family were inside their house, they were trying to run out but the attackers had already laid siege on them and set the house on fire with them inside.

“There was no how I could assist them because my life was also in danger, I was under grasses watching and hearing their loud cry. There was nothing I could do because I was under serious threat that any attempt to move will terminate my life.”

Also burnt beyond recognition, was a 95-year-old Gyang Dusu Hwere who could not run like other agile youths in Abonong community. He was gunned down at the doorstep of his room where he groaned in pains to death and was set on ablaze like a log of wood.

Mr. Gwom Pam Dusu, a Financial Secretary of Roman Catholic Church of Ziyat gave a vivid account of the gory incident at Ziyat village where four persons were killed and several houses burnt.

“We were about to go out for surveillance of the community as usual because there was local security information about an impending attack planned by suspected herdsmen who hired mercenaries. Shortly before our usual time of going out, we heard sporadic and heavy gunfire all over Ziyat and neighbouring villages.

“It was obvious that the herdsmen have invaded the community as earlier promised, we tried to repel them but we couldn’t because they were equipped with superior gunfire and we had nothing with us. At a point, we had to take cover and that was how they succeeded in setting the village on fire and looted our harvested crops.

“The attackers had a free day as the attack lasted for about an hour before men of the Operation Safe Haven stationed in Bek of Foron District arrived the scene. It appears as if the mercenaries were stationed in various villages in the community because the attack took place simultaneously in all the affected villages.”

A 27-year-old Gyang Adamu, who is the surviving son of the Pastor Adamu Gyang is yet to recover from the shocking incident that claimed his entire family. He escaped luckily because he had resumed school, if not the entire family would have been wiped out.

Only survivor – Adamu

Gyang, a 300-level student of the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Jos is devastated and now left to fend for himself. “I am a 300 level Civil Engineering Student of University of Jos. I was in school when the incident happened, I got to know about the attack when I saw a post on Facebook that Abonong village was under attack.

“Immediately, I placed several calls trying to get in touch with my family members, but non went through. I decided to call a friend to find out what was the situation, the report I received was heartbreaking and very devastating.

“I couldn’t believe that all my family members have killed. On reaching home, I saw my Dad, Mummy and younger ones burnt beyond recognition, I could not recognize them because what I was seeing was just ashes.

“The sight of the gory incident broke me down, I am finished, I don’t know where to start. I can’t believe that I lost my entire family in just one night, it is pathetic, worrisome and something urgent need to be done.

“We can’t continue this way, government must do something drastically to fish out those who killed my parents. They must be arrested to face the full wrath of the law. I have nothing to hold on in the house, the food, cloth and the entire properties in the house were burnt and the corpses were buried in one grave.”

Villages affected in the recent carnage includes a mining site at Werre village of Ropp District, Abonong, Ziyat and Bek villages of Foron District. Also affected are Nafan, Sagast, Rawuru, and Rambuh villages of Fan District, all in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the State.

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