Local Ethnic Leaders Charge Military with Collaboration
By Masara Kim
(Jos) — Armed terrorists shouting “Allahu Akbar” opened fire on a mass burial Tuesday, scattering more than 500 residents and forcing TruthNigeria reporters to flee on foot. The attack in Nding Sesut village, 20 miles south of Jos, fell as residents gathered to bury seven people killed in an attack the previous night (May 5).
As the interment proceeded, TruthNigeria staff were distracted by black-clad gunmen firing automatic rifles while advancing from surrounding hills. Mourners hurriedly buried the dead in a shallow grave and looked for cover. Amid the chaos, TruthNigeria team ran more than 5 km to safety, leaving their vehicle behind.
Alert Sounded for Thursday Attacks
According to local sources interviewed by TruthNigeria, hundreds of Fulani Ethnic Militia converged in the Fulani mercenary hub called Mahanga 25 miles south of Jos Wednesday and got directions from a terrorist organizer there. They then fanned out in columns of motorbikes three to a bike and have settled into a hilly area in or near Barkin Ladi County. The communities of Gassa, Lohalla, Lobiring, Jong and Rakung are under threat, according to these sources.
At least one local person was killed and two others injured during the incident on Tuesday afternoon, according to local leaders. They were the latest victims of a series of ongoing armed assaults in Plateau State which has killed over 50 Christians since Easter per media reports, forcing House of Representatives member Fom Dalyop Chollom to call for stronger U.S.-Nigeria counterterrorism collaborations, criticizing gaps in local intelligence and military response.
“It is the technology that we lack,” Chollom told TruthNigeria. “Therefore, we need the U.S.’ collaboration so that we can utilize their gadgets and information technology systems to improve our response to threats,” Chollom said, acknowledging terror alerts by TruthNigeria.
“We have seen the alerts,” he said. “But what is happening here, we do not have the capacity to follow up and act on such information,” Chollom said.
Hours prior to the attack in Nding on May 5th, TruthNigeria circulated an advance warning of impending terror attacks in communities south of Jos. The alert circulated by text messages at 5:27 p.m. local time specifically mentioned Nding Sesut as one of the at-risk villages. The alert reads:
“Armed Fulani terrorists meeting at staging grounds Jong, Fass, Lugere, Bet, Kwok and Jallo have concluded plans to simultaneously attack:
1. Nding Sesut, Kak & Rapyam in Fan district, Barkin Ladi local government
2. Nafan, Rawuru and other neighborhoods of Fan District, Barkin Ladi LGA
3. Gassa, Rakung and Hwol Gassa should be on Ref Alert.
Two hours later, shootings started in Nding Sesut.
“It started around 7:30 pm, Tuesday” said Luka Pam, the youth leader of Nding Sesut. “We heard gunshots in the center of the community, and before we could come out, six people lay dead in front of their house,” Pam said. One other victim was found in the outskirts of the village hours later while three injured survivors were ferried to the hospital.
The Leader of Nding Sesut community, Ishaya Gyang, who narrowly escaped the attack, narrated sighting the invaders moments prior to the shootings.
“We started hearing rumours that Fulani definitely will enter this community,” Gyang said. “As a leader, I went round the entire community advising residents,” Gyang recalled. “There is a place where young people used to gather. I went there and talked to them, and all of them vacated and left the place,” Gyang shared.
“Close to that [same] place I saw another group of people, thinking it was the youths of the community. But as I attempted to get closer, I realized they weren’t because I spoke to them from a distance, but there was no response. I spoke to them in our local code language and didn’t get a response. so I ran from there telling people that there were strange people around. Before I closed my door, I heard gunshots from the north. Then those coming from the south responded with more gunfire,” he said, describing a large invading force.
“The group coming from the north were maybe 30 or more. The group coming from the south I can’t estimate. They were large in number. Those ones coming from the north came quietly to this compound where they shot the women and children sitting outside. It was there that the youths of the community realized what was going on. The other ones I saw in the south also responded and everywhere became confused and full of gunshots,” he said, crediting local civilian guards for saving the rest of the community.
“We thank God for the vigilantes [local name for civilian guards] and we also thank God for these hunters. We really appreciate their efforts. They really responded swiftly! If not, we would have lost more than that number,” he said, saying that soldiers from the Military Task Force stationed 2 miles away arrived on the scene 30 minutes late.
Barrister Solomon Dalyop, spokesman for the Berom tribe, which dominates northern Plateau, denounced the military at the burial for complicity with terrorists.
“Two days ago, we buried five that were killed in this kind of attack. And today we are having seven, mostly women that the terrorists came to Nding Sesut and attacked this place under the watch of the military,” Solomon shouted.
“The worrisome part of it is that there was a terror alert given around 5 p.m. that there was going to be an attack on Nding Sesut and surrounding villages,” said Solomon, a nationally known human rights lawyer. “Aside from the Police who received the information late, I personally circulated the alert to all the security agencies early enough.
I even placed a call to the army commanders, and I was assured that troops would be immediately deployed to this place. Yet, the terrorists came and perpetrated this crime,” he said, specifically pointing to a soldier in a Special Task Force (STF) unit in Nding.
“The saddest part of it is that military personnel stationed to this area among four manning a STF unit in this area, were nowhere to be found just moments before the attack and even after the attack. His phone line was called, but he didn’t answer. The same thing happened when we buried five people two days ago in Fan-Loh, where we gathered the attack had the collaboration of soldiers. Now it is very clear that that AWOL soldier was possibly part of those who came and perpetrated this,” he said.
TruthNigeria’s calls to Colonel Asuquo, who heads the Special Task Force Sector 4 in Barkin Ladi, were not answered. But a former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Istifanus Mwansat told TruthNigeria Col. Asuquo had assured him that the suspected soldier had been arrested and was under investigation.
Masara Kim is a conflict reporter in Jos and a senior editor of TruthNigeria
