From Teryima Ajijah, Jos
The Council Chairman of Kanam Local Government Area, Dayebu Garga, has said the council has so far buried 106 persons in different mass graves as at Monday, following terrorists attacks on four communities of Garga District of Kanam LGA in Plateau state recently.
Garga stated this at Kanam LGA Council Secretariat in Dengi on Thursday, when the Federal Lawmaker representing Pankshin Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, Yusuf Garga paid him a condolence visit over the unfortunate incident that engulfed the council area.
Garga blamed the attacks on in-activeness on the part of government, who could not alert security operatives of early warning signs reported by the locals.
Consoling with victims of the attacks at different locations where the constituents are talking refuge, Gagdi, the member house of Representative assured them that he has presented their plight at the National Assembly during plenary Tuesday.
Gagdi regretted that the APC led administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has failed Nigerians in taking charge of their security, hence the continued attacks all over Nigeria.
Gagdi, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Navy, at the House of Representatives, in an interview with journalists, shortly after assessment of the attacked areas suggested that Nigerians, should be permitted by law to carry arms and protect themselves from attackers.
“If there was a law that permit citizens to carry arms, this incident would have been 50-50 carnage,” he stated.
He told his constituents that plans are under way to establish a permanent mobile Police unit to foster future occurrence.
The lawmaker announced donation of relief materials, ranging from clothes, grains and other foodstuffs with building materials and a cash of 2.5 million naira.
He said he has sought intervention of the Ministry of Disaster and Humanitarian Affairs to intervene and donate relief materials to the affected communities.
Still on the death toll, a resident in one of the attacked communities, Kukawa, a commercial centre, Umar Abdullahi, said the number of victims of the Sunday morning attack could be more than 200.
Abdullahi, who survived the attack by the whiskers, confided in our reporter that corpses of missing persons are still being discovered. “Yesterday (Wednesday), we picked two and buried, today (Thursday) another two were discovered. We are still searching for the missing persons,” he stated.
The affected residents said most of the victims were youths. According to many survivors, the attackers looted valuables including cash.
One of the victims, Salisu Maigida said the killers stole a million naira in his brother’s tailoring shop, and carted away with six expensive sewing machines.
On his part, the Emir of Kanam, Alhaji Mohammed Muazu called on government and security agencies to be more proactive in protecting lives and property of citizens.
The traditional ruler, who made the call at his palace in Debgi, when the lawmaker paid him homage, appealed for calm amongst his subjects and charged them not to take laws into their hands.