Group Alleges Fresh Killings in Plateau
Alli visits Yelwa tomorrow
From Funmi Peter-Omale in Jos
Against the backdrop of on-going reconciliatory moves in Plateau State, a group has alleged that there is no let up yet in the killings and assault by suspected ethnic militias in Yelwa, Shendam Local Government area.
Secretary General of the Gamai Unity and Development Organisation, Stephen Sarki Musa said in Jos yesterday that "the ethnic militias use all sorts of means to lure ther victims to their hide out where they carry out unimaginable atrocities in well coordinated manners."
New Commissioner of Police for the state, Mr. Joseph Apapa, declined to speak on the incident, saying he just assumed duty and was not familiar with the case. He explained that the State Security Council yesterday took a position on recent happenings in southern Plateau, adding that the state government would soon release a harmonised press statement.
But Musa said Yelwa is fast turning into a den where travelers and non-Muslims returnees are allegedly ambushed by militias who after capturing their victims kill the men and subject the women to various forms of sexual assaults.
Musa said, "On July 16, one of their victims a woman escaped from her captors and reported the gory stories of what befell her and seven other travelers. On July 9, the woman with the other travelers whose destinations were Ajikamai/Yamini boarded a taxi. On arrival at Yelwa, the driver deceived them that he needed to get additional fuel and he diverted to a house which turned out to be a slaughter slab," he said.
Musa noted that the victims were received by "unspecified number of fully armed uniformly dressed men who immediately killed the men, gorging out their eyes and scrapping their private parts." The women were beaten, drugged and subjected to an orgy of sex for eight days (July 9 to 16)".
Musa disclosed that a good Samaritan facilitated the escape of the women though two of the women have not been found yet.
However, the third that is now in an undisclosed hospital for treatment under the supervision of government was said to be at the point of semi-consciousness.
While noting that recent happenings in Yelwa were rubbishing the peace process of government and creating tension, the GUDO spokesman posited that government must take decisive action against the persons or groups truncating peaceful moves.
"As steps towards achieving peace, we advise that government should declare Yelwa a no-go area and all its current residents irrespective of their ethnic or religious backgrounds should be evacuated immediately this should give the authorities the ample opportunity to search the whole town for illegal weapons and other dangerous undesirable elements before people are allowed to resettle," he said.
The group urged that all returnees be subjected to thorough search to check the infiltration of illegal weapons. They also suggested that returnees should also be made to report their presence to appropriate authorities to ensure that only genuine residents of the town return.
"Already we can confirm authoritatively that most of the returnees to Yelwa are new faces imported to destabilize whatever process being put on ground by the government and other well meaning people."
The organization appealed to people in the area not to take law into their hands but to remain calm and peaceful urging them to report suspicious movement to appropriate quarters.
However, a competent Police source at the state headquarters confirmed that the Command was aware of the latest incident explaining that they are investigating to ensure the whole thing was not fabricated.
According to the source who begged for anonymity, the Command was not too comfortable with the news as some of the allegations did not just add up.
"If you ask me, the story may not be true because some of the things did not just add up. One wonders how five people could have been killed without anybody coming up to declare anybody missing. And what happened to the other two women? What about the bodies of those allegedly killed?"
Meanwhile the state government has described recent development in Shendam Local government area as "incredulous and uncoordinated" but affirmed that investigations continue with a view to verifying and ascertaining what really happened.
According to a release signed by the Director of Press Affairs, Ezekiel Dalyop, government was appealing to the general public, particularly the people of Shendam to remain law abiding and not to take law into their hands.
"It is mandatory to give peace a chance at this crucial moment as it is the only option available to us. The general public is being called upon to be wary of agents of destabilization and rumour mongers who may parade themselves as defenders of just causes. People should not allow themselves to be used to perpetrate evil acts for whatever ulterior motive," the statement affirmed.
Meanwhile, the state Administrator Gen. Chris Alli will lead other top government officials including the state Police Commissioner the General Officer Commanding in the state and the state SSS Director on a fact-finding visit to the area tomorrow.
Following continued killings in Southern Plateau, President Olusegun Obasanjo has since imposed emergency rule while suspending the governor and the House of Assembly.
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