ONE of the heavy casualties of last Tuesday’s mass murder in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State was the Mallum family of five which was wiped out by gunmen.
Saturday Tribune findings revealed that the killed family of five hailed from Langtang North Local Government area of the state but resided in Mangu.
Narrating the circumstances surrounding the issue and how the marauders carried out the dastardly act, a sister to the head of the family, Mrs Juliana Danjuma Kwamji, said the family resided in the Soho Kasuwa area where they noticed the commotion.
The sprawling business community of Mangu had earlier that day seen hell as houses, business premises and places of worship were burned. The popular maize market, where traders across the country thronged every Friday, was not spared by the arsonists.
Mrs Kwamji said that before her brother and his family members were killed, they were aware that there was violence in the local government area but never envisaged that it would spread to where they lived.
She said, “On coming out of the house, they noticed that some of their neighbours were outside their houses discussing the unfortunate incident in town in a hushed tone. And someone accosted my sister, who was taking her daughter to school, to postpone the move as a result of tension in town.
“She obeyed and returned to the house, and while they were deliberating on what to do, they suddenly saw their neighbour’s house on fire and decided to call the owner of the house to call security agents and fire service to put out the fire.
“In the twinkling of an eye, the gunmen, in connivance with some of their neighbours, began to set houses on fire. At that time, no one could run out again, but when the situation was becoming intense, the little schoolgirl who was with them and at the moment with me was thrown out of the window and she ran to the next house.”
“The hoodlums forced their way through the window into the house and killed my elder brother, Dauda Mallum, a 67-year-old man who was a retired civil servant and had been battling stroke. They killed him and four other family members, namely, Beatrice Mallum (29 years old), Emmanuel Mallum (31 years old), Tabitha Mallum (20 years old) and a sister to the man, in a gruesome manner.”
Mrs. Kwamji, amid tears, said the five victims were stabbed to death and the house set on fire by the assailants who waited to ensure that they were burned beyond recognition.
“Before they were burned, the people collected their phones and took away some valuables.
“There were five people in the house: three were his children and one was his sister who came to take care of him because he was down with stroke. But a girl, who is about four years old, was thrown out of the window and escaped to a neighbour’s house. The girl is with me presently,” she said.
Mrs Kwanji said she monitored the murdered people on the phone throughout the time they were trapped until they were eventually killed. She added that she later called one of the phones and the receiver simply replied that they were at that moment in the Niger Republic.
The incident has continued to attract condemnation. A statement signed by the National Secretary of the Ngwang Ishi O’tarok (NIO), a Tarok socio-cultural development association, Mr Nangor Ndam, posited that the victims were Tarok families living in Mangu Local Government Area.
The statement pointed out that the association, led by Mr Nanpon Danjuma Sheni, was aware of the incident and had been in contact with the security agencies handling the investigations.
The association added that the president of the association had also been in touch with his counterpart, the president of the Magaghul Development Association, for full briefing on the situation in Mangu.
The association called on all Tarok sons and daughters to remain calm and law-abiding while investigations continued and warned that there should not be any cause for retaliatory action as security agents were on top of the situation.
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