Palpable fear enveloped Kuka village and its environs even as armed military have been deployed to maintain peace in Shendam Local Council Area of Plateau State where 5 persons and over 200 houses were burnt Sunday morning in fresh attack in the area.
NewsInvestigators learnt that though the presence of armed soldiers has helped to maintain peace, there is still fear among the indigenes who are largely victims of the Sunday attack that the last mat not have been seen of the invaders.
“Well, there are security presence but these guys are butchers who are always happy to kill even whether children, women and old helpless people it doesn’t matter to them,” a source who crave anonymity said on telephone.
Reports had it on Monday that the attackers came in hundreds, stormed the village Sunday morning shooting sporadically and setting houses on fire in the Kuka village, Shendam Local Government Area is in the southern part of the state.
The 5 persons shot dead by the invaders were identified as: Malam Inuwa (60), Yakubu Kaura (43), Alhassan Abdullahi (50), Abdullahi Dungu (35), while Abdurrahman’s arm was fractured. One Musa Dan Union, said to have been shot in the abdomen, is receiving treatment in a hospital.”
According to the reports, the attackers outnumbered policemen stationed at Kuka village. “We all ran into the bush while they burnt our houses and mosque and shot at people, but 30 minutes later, military reinforcement came from Taraba State, which is a border to Kuka,” said an eye witness.
When contacted, Spokesman of the Special Task Force (STF), Captain Salisu Ibrahim Mustapha, said there were only two death confirmed. “I can only confirm two deaths,” he said, adding that “the attackers were estimated to be about 100 in number; they burnt some houses but they have been repelled and calm has returned to the community.”
But the Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Plateau State Police Command, Felicia Anslem, told journalists that “five people were killed and many houses were burnt.”
She added that “about 300 attackers invaded the community early on Sunday.” She, however, said that normalcy has returned to the area as security agencies have deployed more of their men there.
