By LINUS OOTA
For Mr. Mathias Ushenge 47, a father of four, it’s something else. Though he survived the gory killing, right now he is a living dead, a walking corpse, life has no meaning for him any more as his aged mother, wife and his first son perished in the attack.
“As I talk to you, several persons injured, many homes razed several persons are missing, so many people have been killed, houses razed and some of those killed had their throats slashed, eyes and private organs removed and killed like animals, my wife was slaughtered like a Christmas goat, a lot of people have fled out of this place, as I talk to you over 21 corpses had already been recovered while many others are still missing “
The scenario that played out on the night of their death is one that is bound to linger for a long time to come. He recalled that the villagers were fast asleep on the new year night when the harbingers of horror came calling at 2am. Bedlam was let loose everywhere, amid the confusion that ensured following sustained burst of gunfire from every direction of the village community, the inhabitants, rudely woken up from sleep, ran as fast as their legs could carry them, without minding the lurking danger.
In the process, many, especially women, and children were hacked down by the invading herdsmen who were fully armed for the operation.
Mr Ushange who was sleeping in the room with his wife , while the children slept in the parlour and his aged mother slept in the next room, said he heard footsteps of the attackers approaching while he was busy trying to wake up his drowsy wife so that they could escape. It was not possible as the blood-thirsty assailants kicked the door open. Face with imminent death, he escaped through the window and the gun shot targeted at getting him down missed out. Though he left behind his wife and children.
I nearly run back to protect my family but had no weapon to face them as he was taken unawares. Both of us were deeply asleep, I had the cry of agony and cry of my wife earnestly pleading with them but to no avail. She was waken up from sleep face to face with death, it became unbearable.
In tears-filled eyes, Mr Ushange recounted how his aged mother , first son and wife were butchered by the marauding herdsmen as they hacked them to death, I witnessed it from a far and heard their cry for safety to no avail, I heard their cries of agony and earnest pleas for mercy before they were eventually silenced with machete cuts. My heart broke many times over but when I noticed that they were trailing me having escaped their gun through the window, I ran farther into the bush.
“My wife Therezer 36, first son, Aondohemba 14, and aged mother, Mama Nyihemba 65 were butchered with cutlass and axe like animals.
“I don’t know where to start now that all I laboured for in my entire life has been taken away in one night. My only son, wife and aged mother are no more, leaving me with the little two daughters who were spared by the herdsmen, he wailed uncontrollably. “He began to wonder whether the decision to escape the attackers was even a wise one. What is he living for again, wouldn’t it have been better to wait to be killed along with my wife.
“It was better for me to have died than to incur these losses, how can I overcome this trauma, he wept.
He is left in deep grief. The whole thing looks like a dream to him as he is yet to come to terms with the fact that his wife, aged mother and his first son are no more.
My wife and the children had planned to travel to Makurdi to spend the Christmas with one of her uncles who works in Makurdi, but I insisted that they should stay and do it with old mama because if they travel, there would be no body to take care of the old woman especially her feeding, among other necessities.
“If I knew that there was going to be an attack, I wouldn’t have stopped them from going to Makurdi. At first I contemplated it but somehow I decided to stop it. Now they are no more.
“I want the state and federal governments to take drastic decision on this Genocide, this is one killing too many, it was carefully planned to wipe out the entire area and my village was mostly affected, we have been living in peace for several decades until in the last five years, when series of herdsmen attacks in the area became the order of the day without the government doing anything to halt the killings, we don’t know why this calamity is coming at this time again.
“The people were shooting sporadically and the villagers fled including myself, as you can see at the movement is scary and we are helpless, it is as if we are at war, the mission of the invaders is to occupy and take over our villages and farmlands.
“It is a pathetic situation because a lot of deaths have been recorded, many have been wounded as bullets continue to fly around, the village is no longer save for us. The herdsmen also burnt down houses, farms and foodstuff as they move into the villages in what look like well coordinated attacks.”
Those who carried out the attack must be arrested and prosecuted according to the laws to stop others from taking similar action on other communities. The herdsmen who are terrorizing us have been stationed in Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The entire operation took place in less than an hour without resistance as the herdsmen carefully plan and shared responsibilities by taking strategic positions at strategic points before swooping on the village. Holes caused by bullets in some of the houses doors made of corrugated iron sheets are all too visible.