Plateau crisis: 91 killed, 158 injured in Mangu crisis – Mwaghavul

Tamarauemi Ebimini

National President of the Mwaghavul Youth Movement, Comrade Sunday Dankaka, on Tuesday, has said 91 Persons were killed in last week’s violence in Mangu Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking with newsmen in Jos, the state capital, chairman of the group, said those killed in the crisis in Mangu LGA included 42 women, 37 children and 12 men.

According to him, 158 persons were injured while 114 houses burnt, adding that 9 mosques and 15 churches were affected in the incident.

The crisis of January 22, 2024, happened after Ebenezer Caleb, an Okada rider, was attacked around 5:45pm as against the curfew imposed by the state government on Mangu LGA.

“He was with Madam Jenifer Fidelis as his passenger, they were heading home to Sabon Gari and had to stopped to allowed cattle cross the road just 50 meters to the checkpoint. It was at that point after the cows has passed and a young boy threatened Ebenezer that he will kill him, that they (Mwagavul) have stop them from grazing their cattle in their areas and the boy hit him with a stick and others attacked him.”

“But at that point, the military didn’t say anything, the only thing they could say is that is the natives that provoked the whole thing. At that point the youths became so angry that no action was taken, ” the group said.

Meanwhile, the Country Director of Equity International Initiative Amb. Chris Iyama, has called on the Federal Government to intensify humanitarian support to communities that have come under attacks by gunmen in Mangu and Bokkos local government council of Plateau.

Equity International said, “We are calling on Federal Government and security agencies to immediately reclaim and secure all abandoned farm lands, and abandoned homes so that all the farmers who left their ancestral lands can feel safe to return to their communities and their farm lands.