‘How terrorists slaughtered my wife, daughter, son, his wife, two-month-old baby’

A survivor of last Saturday’s attack on Kum village in the Rim District of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, where Fulani terrorists massacred nine members of one family, has narrated his ordeal, which he described as horrific and dreadful.

The victim, Mr James Yohanna, who was one of only three people who survived the deadly attack, told journalists on Friday that the assailants targeted his household during the attack and slaughtered his wife, son, his four-year-old daughter, and his two-month-old granddaughter.

Yohanna, who said he escaped death by the whiskers during the invasion, said the assailants who spoke Fulfulde, the language of the Fulani tribe, deliberately targeted his household because he is related to the Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations, COCIN, for Barkin Ladi LGA, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo.

While narrating his ordeal, Yohanna said when the terrorists invaded his household, they demanded the whereabouts of the “father” of the family before they started shooting.

Recalling the horrendous ordeal, Yohanna said:

“At about 11:30 p.m., I was in my room. Then I heard dogs barking uncontrollably, and the next thing I heard was boots tramping. After a while, I heard loud bangs at my brother’s door, and soon after, I heard my brother scream.

“It turned out they were trying to break into the house, but he ran outside. They shot him in the arm and leg. However, he managed to hide before the person chasing him could get close.

“Then, after about 30 minutes, I heard the dogs barking again, and then the sounds of boots again. Then I heard gunshots at my son’s door, followed by the sound of the door being kicked open. I heard my son saying, ‘Please don’t harm us.’

“But a male voice with a Fulani accent said in Hausa, ‘today you will learn a hard lesson’ after demanding the ‘father of the house.’ When my son failed to answer, they shot him, shot his wife, and shot his two-month-old baby.

“At that point, I threw my six-year-old daughter through the window and followed, running aimlessly into the bush as one attacker fired several shots at me.

“When he lost me, he went back into the house, and I tried to crawl back, but before I got 20 meters close, they went to the next room where my six daughters were sleeping, and I heard automatic gunfire everywhere, followed by silence.

“Then they started marching out of the house. One of my daughters, a four-year-old who was apparently terrified, screamed, and one of the attackers marched back and shot her.

“By the time soldiers arrived, and I was able to make it back to the house, my wife, my son, and his wife and two-month-old daughter, and my six daughters lay dead.”