Revd Dr. Gideon Para-Mallam, President and CEO of the Para-Mallam Peace Foundation, has brought to light the tragic manipulation of a nine-year-old boy which led to a devastating massacre in Chirang village, Plateau State, on Christmas Eve.

As recounted by a woman who narrowly survived the incident by falling into a ditch, her son, Regard Yusuf, was deceived into leading the attackers to the place where she was hiding. This act of treachery resulted in the murder of 23 women, including Regard and his mother.

The account, provided by the survivor, was shared in a statement by the Para-Mallam Peace Foundation, revealing the chilling details of how the young boy was given false assurances about his safety before being killed alongside his mother. Among the deceased were also Veronica Mallan and her nine-month-old child, Godwin Mallan.

“The attacks have left a trail of severe injuries. A three-year-old child lies critically ill in the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) after being shot at close range, and a five-year-old girl is also receiving care at JUTH after her hand was brutally severed by attackers,” the statement added.

The Foundation strongly condemned the attacks, labeling them as a deliberate act of genocide rather than a simple conflict between farmers and herders.

It also highlighted the loss of public figures such as Hon. Sabo Abang, who was kidnapped on the same night and later found dead near his home.

Revd Dr. Para-Mallam extended his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims, Governor Caleb Mutfwang of
Plateau State, and all affected Nigerians.

He criticized the tendency to misrepresent the violence as a mere clash and called out the Federal Government for its inadequate response to the crisis.

The statement emphasized the urgent need for proactive measures rather than the current reactive military responses.

It pointed out that even during a visit by a Presidential Team that included Vice President Kashim Shettima and National Security Adviser Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the violence continued unabated, with more villages coming under attack.

The silence of the international community and the lack of strong collective action within Nigeria were also questioned in the statement, which urged for a united stance against terrorism in the Middle-belt region.

Revd Dr. Para-Mallam appealed for a concerted effort to achieve sustainable peace and end the bloodshed in Plateau State. He reiterated that only decisive action, not politicization, can lead to true peace and security for the region’s inhabitants.

Meanwhile, the Defence Headquaters, says troops intervened in 19 out of the 36 villages in Plateau State after receiving distress calls from villagers about attacks by militants on 24 December.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, a major-general, said on Friday in Abuja that the militants carried out simultaneous attacks on the villages from various fronts.

He said the intervention of the troops in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi Local Governement Areas forced some of the militants to withdraw after wrecking havoc on the defenceless villagers.

“Sadly, events turned gloomy with the attack on Bokkos LGA and some part of Barkin Ladi LGA on 23 December.

“It should be noted that, Bokkos and Barkin Ladi LGAs span about 2,315 square kilometres with over 350 villages, mostly dispersed.

“The distance between some of these villages and troops’ locations is over 90 kilometres and sometimes difficult to access because of the rugged terrain which are mostly inaccessible to vehicles.

“Thus, affecting the reaction time to incidents, except when there is credible intelligence before the attack.”

Mr Buba said over 100 marauding armed militant herders suspected to be mercenaries, carried out the series of unprovoked attacks from multiple fronts on Kambarpeli village in Bokkos while the locals were asleep.

“The militants unleashed mayhem on the villagers before arrival of troops to the location,” he added.

Mr Buba said the troops received a total of 36 distress calls from diverse locations simultaneously on 24 December at about 1900 hours.

He said the distress calls reported series of coordinated attacks by armed militant herders on isolated villages in the two local government areas.

“Troops responded to the calls and were able to intervene in 19 villages forcing the militants to withdraw.

“Unfortunately, the havoc had been committed before troops arrived the other villages,” he added.

According to him, the troops had in the second half of the year initiated kinetic and non-kinetic operations which significantly curtailed attacks between farmers and herders in the state.

“Until the recent killings in Plateau State during the Christmas, the highlighted measures visibly contributed to the relative peace in Plateau, as well as the adjoining areas in Bauchi, Taraba and Kaduna States.

“Similarly, the activities of Operation Whirl Stroke significantly checkmated armed banditry, kidnapping and other crimes in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states,” he added.

Mr Buba assured that the military had taken necessary measures to overcome all identified challenges and ensure that such tragic occurrences were avoided in the future.