Barely three days after a vicious attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen on 15 villages in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi Local Governments in Plateau, the inhabitants of three communities in Chip District, Pankshin Local Government Area of the State are in distress over a threat letter warning on an impending holocaust.
A letter of threat written in Hausa which was received on Wednesday, December 27, has put residents of Mel, Banban Lamba and Muzan villages of Chip District in a tight spot as they face a grim choice – stay and sleep with one eye closed, amidst hunger, or relocate to be refugees elsewhere.
The letter, according to security sources, had warned the people of Chip District to “prepare and wait for us since the people of Mel, Banban Lamba and Muzam villages have refused to heed to advice”.
Scudnews learnt from security sources that the letter which had no address was allegedly brought by the head of Fulani in Chip District and suspected to have originated from Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders.
It was further learnt that the police Area Commander in Pankshin was alerted on the development and a meeting comprising heads of Fulani in Chip District, traditional rulers as well as the chairman of Miyetti Allah in the area was immediately summoned by the police to broker peace.
Meanwhile, reports indicated that the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, CP Okoro Alawari, has ordered the Area Commander Pankshin to coordinate, step up surveillance and patrol of the area to prevent any ugly incident just as a combined team of security operatives has been dispatched to the area for reinforcement.
This is coming barely three days after the police confirmed 79 villagers killed and 221 houses burnt in the Christmas Eve attack on 15 communities in two local government areas of the State. As of Wednesday, December 27, the death toll in Bokkos Local Government had hit 148, according to the Council’s management committee chair.
A native who does not want his name mentioned for security reasons told Scudnews that while the Plateau people do not want their population to diminish further, they have become an endangered species, struggling daily with the loss of their pride as humans occasioned by insecurity and perpetual fear of the unknown.
“We struggle with disillusionment and resignation; for many of us, stress and distress has become ways of life”, he lamented.
