Boko Haram bombing smaller

NIGERIA (ANS – June 25, 2018) — In a 60-hour killing spree that began last weekend about 200 Christians were slaughtered in Plateau State even as the US Ambassador At Large for IRF was departing Nigeria.

By Emmanuel Ogebe, Special to ASSIST News Service

Ambassador Sam Brownback’s one-week visit was pockmarked with 6 suicide bombings by Boko Haram in one day (the largest single day detonations), deadly Shiite clashes with the police, altercations between local Muslims and a community and continuing killings by Muslim Fulani Herdsmen.

The grand finale of this perfect storm of violence was the triple digit massacre in Plateau State. https://viewpointnigeria.com/despair-as-death-toll-of-barkin-ladi-killings-reaches-106/?_e_pi_=7%2CPAGE_ID10%2C7541351262

http://punchng.com/breaking-plateau-imposes-curfew-as-fulani-herdsmen-allegedly-kill-200-in-11-villages/

Plateau Killings Daffo Bokkos smallerOvernight, I have been inundated with photos too gruesome to share here of horribly mutilated bodies of children brutally macheted to death and macheted still after death for maximal horror effect, charred corpses and bodies stacked in mass graves.

Already the Fulani have justified this heinous crime against humanity http://scannewsnigeria.com/news/plateau-killings-are-retaliatory-says-miyetti-allah/

The sad thing is this is not the first time nor the last. In 2012 when Fulani’s massacred over 60 Christian villagers in Plateau State, an executive of the same cattle rearers group said the same thing. I wrote to the Attorney General and asked, “This man has admitted the crime. Why hasn’t he been picked up?” He is still free till today. After the New Year Massacre in Benue State, again they admitted it. No one has been arrested.

Worse still, some of the communities attacked this weekend were attacked previously. In fact one of them was part of the notorious 2010 Dogo Na Hawa Massacre in which 500 Christians were killed. That massacre 8 years ago spurred me to launch the Justice For Jos project and that has evolved to covering Boko Haram atrocities. Ironically the Herdsmen atrocities have continued unabated while Boko Haram hogged the spotlight.

Sadly all of this occurred while Nigeria’s President Buhari was busy holding a party convention in his bid for re-election. Early last week I got distress messages from of our local workers that he was trapped outside the orphanage because of an ongoing Herdsmen attack. However President Buhari deployed over 5000 policemen for his security at the party convention and the killings built up until the massacre despite the early warnings.

We hear reports that mass burials are being ordered by the authorities to hide the true casualties.

At this point the Plateau massacre this weekend looks likely to be the third worst in the 8 years in which I have tracked Herdsmen attacks.

  1. Dogo Nahawa 500 killed March 2010 Plateau State
  1. Agatu 300 killed

February 2016 Benue State

  1. Barkin Ladi about 200 Plateau State June 2018

Mourners at a funeral were also killed https://www.skyrockdaily.com/2018/06/24/news/confusion-suspected-herdsmen-killed-plateau-mourners-witness-says-120-police-confirm-11/?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign= Again not for the first time.

Nigerian cleric with medical staff smallerIt is disconcerting that a small Muslim minority can so terrorize Christian majorities in Benue and Plateau state because of their monopoly of violence. The great danger is if Christians choose not to take it anymore. Friends and family have been appealing for evacuation since last night as Muslims are amassing. However, Plateau is where most Christians from the far north flee for safety so where does everyone one now go?

One of my learned colleagues informs me that Rocket Propelled Grenades were used in these attacks. I am waiting on the evidence but if true, this is not the first time either.

I will keep you updated while I ask your prayers for this unraveling situation.

Photo captions: 1) A Boko Haram attack left this destruction in a previous attack. 2) Victims of the latest killings. 3) Nigerian cleric with medical staff who were dealing with the victims. 4) Emmanuel Ogebe.

Emmanuel OAbout the writer: Emmanuel Ogebe is an international human rights lawyer and religious freedom advocate. He is Special Counsel for the Justice for Jos Project, which is “Seeking to end impunity in the Nigerian Genocide.” His e-mail is: justiceforjos@gmail.com

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