Gift Habib and James Abraham

Invaders have threatened fresh attacks on a community in Plateau State on Friday (today), barely four days after they killed 195 persons in 17 communities across the state.

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Middle Belt Forum, Stanley Kavwam, in an interview with Arise Television on Thursday,  said the terrorists had sent a letter of an imminent attack to the Pushit community in the Mangu Local Government Area, where he hailed from.

When asked about the impending attack on the hit community, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Alabo Alfred, told journalists that the command was aware of the threat.’’We have intelligence, but we are working on it “the PPRO assured.

Also, some residents in Pushit, who spoke to one of our correspondents on Thursday,  said the villagers were aware of the threat letter by the terrorists.

According to them, since the information of the impending attack spread, the residents no longer sleep at night.

Villagers beg govt

One of the villagers, Joshua Bukat, in an interview with The PUNCH, said “ Here in the village, we have been living in fear since the news spread that terrorists are planning to launch a fresh attack in our community.  From the letter, the terrorists said we would be running in the street with chicken and Christmas rice in our hands.

“As a matter of fact, we hardly sleep because we don’t know when they will come. This is not the first time they would send such letters of their plans to attack and on several occasions, they had carried out their threat. So, please help us to tell the government and the security agents to come to our rescue. They should act quickly to save lives and not take the threat for granted.”

The shocking revelation is coming as the United Nations demanded a probe of the Christmas Eve attack in which 195 persons were killed in 17 villages in the Barkin Ladi, Mangu, and Bokkos local government areas of the state.

The PUNCH reported that the well-coordinated attacks also displaced over 10,000 persons, many of whom were presently taking refuge in churches, mosques, schools, and private residences.

The Chairman of Community Peace Observers in the Bokkos Local Government Area, Kefas Mallai, on Tuesday, said over 150 persons were killed by the gunmen.

Mallai also said information indicated that the gunmen were still attacking some villages, adding that over 10,000 people were displaced by the attacks.

On Wednesday, there were reports that the death toll had increased to 195.

The incident attracted strong condemnation by President Bola Tinubu, prominent groups, and individuals including northern governors and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.

In an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, state Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, disclosed that no fewer than 64 communities in the state had been displaced by terrorists who were occupying schools in the local government area.

The governor noted the flaws in the state’s security architecture, which he said required some tinkering.

President Bola Tinubu, in a statement, condemned the attacks and ordered a manhunt for the killers.

Describing the incident as a “primitive and heinous” attack, Tinubu said, “These envoys of death, pain, and sorrow will not escape justice.”

Speaking in an interview on Arise television on Thursday, the Middle Belt Forum Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Kavwam said the terrorists were planning to launch an attack on his village,  Pushit,  on December 29 (today).

Kavwam claimed the military was aware of the identity of the attackers and their hideouts, adding that the security agencies knew that an attack would be launched before the Christmas Eve massacre.

He stated, “While driving down from Jos to this place, I received a call. A letter was sent to my village by the terrorists that the attackers were going to invade on the 29th of this December (today).

“All the attacks that were orchestrated, there were letters to that effect that were dropped by an anonymous person, intimating the residents of the Mangu LGA that there would be attacks.”

Kavwam added that the military was informed before and during the Christmas Eve attacks.

“They received about 37 distress calls, that is ‘Operation Safe Haven’ or the Joint Task Force. About 37 distress calls!! Yet nothing was done,’’ he stated.

He added, “They know where they orchestrate the attacks from. The autonomous community called Manga is at the foot of Bokkos hills, bordering Wamba in Nasarawa State to the south; It’s this autonomous community from where these attacks are orchestrated from, just the same way we have in the Mandara hills in Borno State.

Govt reponsibility

“Section 14B of the 1999 constitution as amended stipulates that the welfare and security of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. These attacks could last for as long as 12 to 24 hours and there is no security presence whatsoever.’’