The number of Internally Displaced Persons following the June 23 and 24 attacks on 15 communities in Plateau State villages has risen to 11,515.
An advocacy group, Stefanos Foundation, which gave the figure in its Fact-finding Report on Barkin-Ladi Attacks, 2018, said the 11, 515 IDPs were taking refuge in 13 locations in the state.
According to the foundation, a total of 233 persons were killed in the two-day attacks carried out by suspected Fulani herdsmen, while “those that are badly injured are hospitalised in various medical centres in Jos, with their families left to struggle with the hospital bills.”
The foundation, which said it received early warning messages from the various communities prior to the attacks and sent same to the government and security agencies, regretted that the attacks still took place.
Stefanos Foundation, in its 14-page report, said its Needs Assessment team deployed in the crisis area, observed that the affected areas were insecure and vulnerable to further attacks.
The fact-finding team, it said, gathered that “some of the communities attacked in the past have now been occupied by Fulani herdsmen.”
“From their records, over 40 villages have now been completely deserted in the Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local Government Areas as a result of continuous attacks.
“The locals, who are the inhabitants of these communities, have no hope of returning to their homes, rather, new houses belonging to the Fulani are now being sighted to be springing up in the deserted communities,” the foundation said.
The 14-page document titled, “Report of June 23 to 24 2018 attacks on 15 communities in the Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos and Mangu Local Government Areas of Plateau State, Nigeria,” was signed by the Programme Coordinator of SF, Mark Lipdo, and was obtained by The PUNCH on Sunday.
The team led by the Administrator of SF, Abraham Hassan, included Franco Majok and Joel Vandaspek (both from CSI, USA), who were in the country for a visit at the time of the recent killings in the four LGAs.
The report said, “Coordinated military-style attacks ravaged 15 communities in some LGAs of Plateau State from June 23 to June 24, 2018, which resulted to the death of 233 persons with many others injured and several properties destroyed while thousands of villagers were displaced.”
The six-man team, during its fact-finding mission, met with the victims (survivors) where they are now taking refuge in about 13 locations.
The report said, “These locations include CAC and ECWA in Bokkos, with 260 people; Geosciences complex in Anguldi, with 3, 061 people; Riyom Community Hall, with 300 people; RCC Fan, with 382 people; ECWA Lawuru, with 452 people; and St. John Viani, Barkin Ladi, with 1, 552 people.
“Others are COCIN RCC Heipang, with 3, 026 people; LCC Ban, with 820 people; COCIN Gasa, with 800 people; Karos Barkin- Ladi, with 132 people; LCC Rampiang, Mangu with 400 people and Dorowa Soho Primary School, with 360 people, bringing the total number of displaced to about 11, 515 IDPs.”
SF said its team spent some time talking with the victims to understand their stories and also prayed with them.
The team, which was able to provide a token of cash gifts to support the victims in the interim for their feeding, Lipdo said, also planned to mobilise more support in the shortest possible time in order to assist the victims.
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