From Gyang Bere, Jos
Friday, March 3, 2023, was indeed an evil day for the family of Reverend Musa Hyok of Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Lulung, in Ganawuri community of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. It was a day that the cleric was brutally murdered in cold blood.
He was killed mercilessly inside the pastorium alongside his two male children by suspected blood-thirsty Fulani herdsmen that invaded the residence by 12 midnight that fateful day.
It was learned that when the gunmen stormed the compound, they knocked on the door consistently until Rev. Hyok came out to the sitting room where he prayed to God to accept his soul and shortly after they broke into the room and shot him dead.
His sons, Emmanuel Musa, 26, and Mang Musa, 23, woke up from sleep and rushed into the parlour to rescue their father after he was shot, but they were equally shot dead by the attackers, leaving behind songs of sorrow.
Their 57-year-old mother, Shom, escaped the incident by God’s mercy. She used her mattress to cover herself while watching in pain how her two sons were dying slowly.
Her greatest fear was that she would also join her husband and children but she wasn’t noticed until the gunmen finished their evil assignment that lasted for about 30 minutes without help coming from anywhere.
It was only the pastor’s residence that was touched in the community during the raid, leaving many with the belief that the pastor was their prime target.
It was gathered that the attack may not be unconnected with the rising tension in the community due to the arrest of some Fulani herdsmen suspected to be kidnappers in Ganawuri community.
It was learnt that the development led to a clash that claimed three herdsmen, which attracted the heavy presence of military troops under the Operation Safe Haven to the community.
Widow of the deceased pastor, who narrated her heart-rending story, described the incident as if it was a movie. She said: “I couldn’t believe that the incident was real, until when I saw the lifeless body of my husband and two children lying in cold blood.
“It was about 12 midnight when we heard a knock on our door, the person persisted and we heard Fulani people talking. My husband left the bedroom to the parlour to pray and they broke into the room and shot my husband dead.
“Two of my my children who were in their room came out and they were also shot death. I became helpless and confused at this point. I carried the mattress and covered myself until the gunmen left the compound.”
She said that when she came out from her hiding place, she raised the alarm, screaming for help, but before her neighbours could come out, the gunmen hd escaped through the hills that surrounded the community.
Daughter of the deceased pastor, Chen, who spoke to our reporter on phone, said her two brothers, who were killed, were asked to move to town when tension was mounting in the community but they refused, saying that they would not leave the village without their father.
She vowed that those who killed her father would not know peace for the rest of their lives on earth, saying her innocent father was targeted by the killers, as it was only his house that was attacked in the community.
Youth leader in the community, Mr. Song Moro, alleged that the sad incident occurred after the killing of three Fulani youths in the community who were suspected to be kidnappers.
He said: ”Trouble started when some suspected Fulani kidnappers were arrested last Wednesday, which was our market day, but later escaped from the hands of Fulani vigilante who were to keep them before the arrival of security operatives.
‘The situation degenerated into an argument and later escalated to a clash leading to the death of three Fulani youths despite several meetings and appeals for calm. We suspect that the situation led to this attack on an innocent family that knew nothing about last Wednesday’s incident.”
Police public relations officer in the state, DSP Alfred Alabo, confirmed the sad incident and said the clergyman, who was a priest of the Church of Christ in Nations, was murdered on Sunday morning.
He said: “The command has commenced investigation to unravel those behind the attack.”