Four Killed, 200 Houses Burnt in Fresh Plateau Violence

At least four people were killed and many houses were burnt in a fresh attack on Kuka village in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State Saturday evening.
Daily Trust gathered from members of the community that hundreds of people attacked the village around 5:20pm with sophisticated weapons, shooting and setting houses on fire.
Kuka village is dominated by the Gommai tribe with some Hausa, Ngas, Fulani and Tarok tribes. It borders
Langtang South LGA and Ibi LGA in Taraba State. Malam Abdullahi Ragmin of the Gommai tribe told Daily Trust on phone Saturday night that the villagers where taking refuge in bushes as they awaited military reinforcement.
Ragmin alleged that the attackers came from Lantang South, burnt about 200 houses and shot dead four persons namely; Malam Inuwa 60, Yakubu kaura 43, Alhassan Abdullahi 50, Abdullahi Dungu 35, while one Abdurrahman sustained a fractured arm and Musa dan Union was shot in the abdomen and is presently in hospital.
"Another source who gave his name as Umar Ibrahim said the attackers who came from Bulgan village in Langtang South outnumbered the soldiers stationed at Kuka village. "We all ran into the bush while they burnt our houses and mosque and shot at people but 30 minutes later military reinforcement come from Taraba State which has border with Kuka", he said.
"A few days ago the Tarok dropped some leaflets threatening us to leave the village and claiming that it was their land. We gave copies of the letters to the Special Adviser to Governor Jonah Jang on Peace, Mr. Timothy Parlong, but no measure was taken and now we have been attacked.
"They said they don't want to see any Ankwai (Gommai) man, they have been claiming that Kuka, Yamini and other villages are all parts of their land, and they threatened to block the trunk A road which leads to Ibi in Taraba State on the 7th of December, 2013", he added.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Peace, Timothy Parlong, condemned the attack and confirmed that he was given the threat letters. The STF Media and Information Officer Captain Salisu Mustapha while confirming the attack said: "I can only confirm two deaths. The attackers were estimated to be about 100 in number and they burnt some houses."