Nigeria: Barbaric Killing Of 500 Women And Children In Tribal Violence

The attack took place in Jos, in the Plateau area of Nigeria, over 500 people, mostly women and children were murdered in the early hours of Sunday. Once again this troubled area of Nigeria is up in flame. It is the second times in a few months that the town is engulfed in ethnic-religious violence opposing conflicting tribes which are either Christians or Muslims.

Nigeria as a whole has been torned by ethnics and religious violence for decades. April 12, 1994 was the first deadly riot in Jos. The cause of the 1994’s riots is arguably the conflict between several tribes: The Benon, Anaguta and Afizere tribes on one side and the Hausa-Fulani tribe on the other. Each sides are laying claims on Jos as their own territory.

In Sunday’s attack, the attackers were from the Fulani tribe (see 2ND photograph), while the victims belonged to the Beron tribe. Some of the Fulani fighters positioned themselves at the entrance of the village while others went in and proceeded to start setting most houses on fire. Most of those who escaped the fires were butchered with machete while others were shot.

“We were caught unaware. We were alarmed by gunshots at about 2:00 AM, ans as we tried to escape, the Fulanis who were already waiting slaughtered many of us,” said Dalyop Gyang one of the few survivors.

The survivors describe the attack as reprisal. They said it could be in direct retaliation for an attack on the Fulanis in Kuru.

Ima Niboro, Nigeria’s acting President’s spokesperson, called on “all Nigerians to remain peaceful and law abiding”.

“While it is too early to state categorically who is responsible for this renewed wave of violence, we want to inform Nigerians that the security forces are on top of the situation,” said Ima Niboro.

Ima Niboro announced that the acting President has placed all the security forces in the region on “red alert” so as to “stem any cross border dimensions of this latest conflict”. Niboro has also directed the security forces to “undertake strategic initiatives to confront and defeat these roving bands of killers”.

Meanwhile and despite the reassuring words of Ima Niboro, the pure madness of killing is still obviously largely going unchecked in this area of Nigeria.

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