Plateau attack: Rep says 92 residents were killed, 3000 displaced

Yusuf Gagdi, a member of the house of representatives, says 92 people were killed in the attack that occurred in Kanam LGA of Plateau state on Sunday.

The legislator representing Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke federal constituency of Plateau, spoke on the floor of the green chamber on Wednesday.

TheCable had reported how the attackers invaded the villages on Sunday afternoon, shooting sporadically and setting buildings on fire.

Speaking while moving a motion during a plenary session on Wednesday, Gagdi said 20 persons were injured in the attack, while 3,414 people have been displaced.

“Terrorists unleashed terror on the people of Kanam local government area and neighbouring communities, killed 92 persons, injured over 20 people and destroyed properties in Kukawa, Kyaram, Gyambau and Dungur among other communities,” he said.

“The total of 41 houses, 86 shops and eight motorcycles were completely burnt and destroyed, leaving a total of 3,413 persons displaced.

“Over 20 victims that sustained various degrees of injuries are currently receiving medication at Garga Primary Health Care, Dengi General Hospital, Federal Medical Centre Bauchi and Jos University Teaching Hospital, respectively.

“Dengi, the headquarters of Kanam local government area, Jarmai, Garga, are among the locations housing various displaced persons.”

The legislator said the assaults took place notwithstanding intelligence reports of impending attacks.

“Despite intelligent reports by the Department of State Services (DSS) on the influx of terrorists fleeing to Plateau and other neighbouring communities of Wase and Kanam local government areas, no proactive measures were initiated by security agencies to avert these ugly terror attacks,” he said.

“The security agencies have reliable information at their disposal of the various camps of these terrorists in Kambari forest in Taraba state as well as Bangala in Wase local government Area of Plateau State where these terrorists use to organise and coordinate attacks on innocent citizens of Plateau state and other parts of Nigeria.”

Gagdi lamented that despite a similar motion passed at the lower legislative chamber in December 2021, the attackers have continued unchallenged, adding that urgent action should be taken to contain the insecurity in the areas.

Contributing to the motion, Bamidele Salam, a lawmaker from Osun state, said people should be held accountable for the attack.

“We have come to a situation in this country where evil is perpetrated and no one is held accountable,” he said.

“We are the privileged class. We move around with convoys and security men. We are being paid to occupy this position of privilege by the sweat and taxes of some people.

“The part of this motion that touched me was the reference that there were early warning signals — the information given to security agencies about the plans by some terrorists to attack innocent persons — and this information was not acted upon by the security agencies.

“Is it that they feel the information is not important or that there are people they can’t touch? We must get to the root of this matter. This has to come to a stop. It appears there’s an absence of government from the executive level, and the parliament must rise up to that responsibility.”

On his part, Bello Kumo from Gombe, called for the dismissal of the minister of defence and national security adviser.

“Why would you continue maintaining one national security adviser over all these years of your government?” he asked.

“The NSA is supposed to present to the president an executive summary of what the security situation of the land is, and the president will act on his advice. So why keep someone who cannot see outside the box? If the president means well for this country he must sack the national security adviser and the minister of defence.

“A minister that cannot move to Kaduna when there is a train attack, how can he coordinate the defence apparatus?”

The motion was passed when it was put to a voice vote by Idris Wase, deputy speaker of the house.

Following that, the lawmakers, among several resolutions, asked security agencies to establish military bases in the troubled areas and “provide aerial surveillance and support to flush out the terrorist and destroy their camps”.