Survivors of Tuesday attack on Plateau communities recount experience as death toll rises to 85

Death toll from Tuesday’s attack by gunmen on villages in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State have risen to 85 according to the National President of the Mwaghavul Development Association, Joseph Gwankat.

This is as survivors of the attack have recounted their experiences during the incident.

It will be recalled that scores of lives, including women and children, were lost during the attack, with many houses burnt.

One of the survivors, Reverend Jesse Joshua Jwanle of the Assembly of God Church in Gaude village, while narrating how the attackers invaded his community, said he was able to escape the attack just by the grace of God, explaining that the attackers came in groups.

“As they were approaching the community, they started shooting sporadically and almost everybody started fleeing the community. Some were killed while some managed to escape.

Read also: Rep decries killing of ‘over 100’ people in Plateau overnight attacks

“They started burning houses. My house was also burnt. All my properties in the house were equally burnt except the clothes on me. I lost a lot in the house. They burnt all the Assembly of God Churches. That is the Assembly of God Church, Gaude 1 and 2. I also lost one of my Church members. I have fled to Halle town to have a cover because we can’t remain there,” Rev Jwanle narrated.

Another survivor, Deborah Samuel, from Kantoma village, said she lost her father-in-law and some of her relatives.

She said: “It was not easy for us on the day of the attack. We were in the market when we suddenly started hearing gunshots from different angles. We started running. I lost my father-in-law and four younger brothers to my husband. I am still in pain over what happened.”

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