A pastor serving in the Faan District in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State has narrated how armed Fulani militants intercepted passenger vehicles along the Barkin Ladi-Dorowa road, isolated Christians, and slaughtered them in cold blood.
The pastor, who spoke in a video recording shared on social media platforms, lamented the series of attacks in Faan communities in the past week perpetrated by suspected Fulani militants, where over 10 people have been killed, while farmlands have been destroyed.
White narrating the dastardly acts of the militants, the pastor also insinuated that the Fulanis are on a renewed jihad war aimed at exterminating Christians in Plateau State and taking over their fertile lands.
Speaking in the video clip, the pastor said:
‘I am a witness to what happened here. I came here early this year, the 1st of January to be precise, from LCC Farin Kasa in Mangu Local Government Area to LCC Faan in Barkin Ladi.
“I came on transfer to continue my pastoral work. What I met here was that the Fulanis have been killing Christians in the local communities and we have been praying to God for a peaceful coexistence.
“God indeed answered our prayers and we have been living in peace for some months. But after a few months, the Fulani people started killing again.
“They first entered some neighbouring communities and started killing the people and destroying their farmlands completely. This act was shocking as the attacks were unprovoked.
“No one looked for their trouble before they carried out the act. While we were still praying for peace, on Sunday, October 5th, we were holding a church executive meeting with my elders, and about 6pm, we decided to end the meeting so that we all could go home, as there was still tension in the community.
“Before that time, we were hearing rumours that Fulani people were saying that some people had killed their cattle.
“Some Fulani people and soldiers were also coming into the community to see what was happening. So we decided to close early so that everyone can go home because you see, the Fulanis do not spare anyone when they attack and they do not forget anything done to them.
“So we told everyone to go home, not knowing that the Fulani militias had set up an ambush in a maize farm. One of our officials by the name Godfrey David, was on his way home when the Fulanis attacked and opened fire on him. He was riddled with bullets and left his body by the roadside.
“While we were still coming to terms with the killing of David, the following day, the Fulani people attacked some people at the same spot and killed another promising young man in Lawur. He was ambushed at about 6:30pm.
“He was about to enter his compound when they attacked and opened fire on him. Between that first attack on Sunday and today, they have killed over eight people.
“If we add the people they killed along the Dorowa Babuje road, I will say they are more than 10. We don’t know what their aim was.
“While we were preparing to bury David, the same militias blocked a road on Thursday between Barkin Ladi and Dorowa Babuje.
“They stopped vehicles, isolated Christians, and slaughtered them in cold blood. People have not been sleeping because Fulanis believe they are now above the law, so they do whatever they want to people because they believe there is nothing that can be done to them.
“And we have no one to run to, no one to help us except God. We want the government to wade into this matter because we, the ordinary people, have no one to help us. Right now, the Fulanis do not regard others as humans but we believe in God to help us.
“But now, we have resolved to take this matter into our hands because when push comes to the wall, we have to take our destinies into our hands because right now, we have lost too many of our people.
“We are sick and tired of all these killings of our people. We are not cowards but people who obey the government and God, but we are not afraid of them in any way.
“Now we are telling the government that if they do not take immediate action against these killers, very soon, they will not know the direction this will take because it could turn into war.
“What I can say is that they are fighting the jihad war as they do not want to see Christians and they want to take over all the lands in the communities. They want to take the fertile lands that God gave us instead of allowing us to enjoy God’s blessings upon us,” he lamented.
