By Masara Kim
Officials are scrambling to reassure traumatized residents and restore a sense of security in the wake of a heartbreaking attack that killed 11 people in central Plateau State, TruthNigeria has learned.
The triple attack approximately 40-45 miles south of the State capital city of Jos, threatens to undermine government efforts to restore order in the state, which has faced months of genocidal attacks, according to Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
Among the victims was a dedicated aid worker who had been selflessly serving the local community, including victims of the infamous “Black Christmas” attacks that claimed more than 1,300 lives by February, according to Amnesty International.
The attacks are part of a broader campaign by Islamic terror groups in Nigeria, where Christians are “deliberately targeted,” according to Open Doors International. The international nonprofit describes Nigerian Christians as an “endangered species,” highlighting the dire situation facing the religious minority in Nigeria.
“Last year alone, in Nigeria there were more people that were killed because of their Christian faith than all other places in the globe combined,” said Ryan Brown, the CEO Of Open Doors U.S., to Fox News Digital, adding “to be specific, there were 4998 Christians that were killed because of their faith in Nigeria last year.”
In the last four years, the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA) reports that more than 55,000 people were killed. Although Muslims are not spared by the extremists groups, the attacks have targeted chiefly Christians with approximately 2.7 Christians killed for every Muslim, the report says.
Shot attempting to rescue a friend
The sun had just set over the town of Daffo on Tuesday, September 3, casting a golden glow over the bustling streets. But in an instant, the peaceful evening was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Kenneth Kadish Gbiang, a community-based representative for the Norwegian Refugee Council, lost his life in the brutal attack.
Gbiang had spent the day working tirelessly, sifting through victim records and uploading photographs into a database. He had taken a break to access electricity and continue his work on his smartphone when the terrorists struck.
Eyewitnesses describe the scene as chaotic. Five men, clad in black, and wielding assault rifles, opened fire on a compound of three brick buildings, killing six occupants. They were flanked by three others in a northern exit, TruthNigeria learned. Gbiang, 37, was shot at the entrance of one of two shops in the building while trying to escape.
Shalom Enoch, a friend of Gbiang, was nearby and witnessed the horror. Enoch, 30, survived with severe injuries. “I saw Kadish fall at the sound of the gunshots,” Enoch told TruthNigeria. “I rushed to pick him up because he was still moving, and that’s when I was shot close to my collar bone.”
Despite TruthNigeria’s breaking report of the attack while it lasted, soldiers stationed less than 20 meters from the shooting site failed to intervene, TruthNigeria learned. Authorities have yet to respond to queries from TruthNigeria.
“I laid on the ground for 30 minutes, and they kept shooting till they disappeared into the mountains,” Enoch said.
“As the gunshots faded, I tapped on Kadish and realized he was already dead. I crawled to a safe corner and ran home from and was taken to hospital,” Enoch recalled.
At the time, Gbiang’s wife, Lydia, was getting crazy in their house 500 meters away, after his phone rang more than ten times.
Family finds out about his death on Facebook
“It was very unlike him,” Mrs. Kadish told TruthNigeria. “Each time there was a security threat in or around this town, and he was not home, he would race home instantly to be sure I and our baby were okay,” said the 26-year-old in Daffo. “He would usually call to assure of his safety before arriving, but on this day he did not, and I was getting mad over it,” she said.
“I had not set eyes on him since I left home in the morning, but I was sure he was at the shop where the incident happened, because it was owned by his friend who was killed with him,” she said.
His mother Veronica was equally concerned. But despite being located mere feet from the site, she only found out about her son’s death on Facebook. She told TruthNigeria: “When his wife came and told me Christopher’s shop was attacked, and he was not answering his phone, I joined in calling and shortly later, I began to see different phone calls.”
“Little did I know it had been posted on Facebook, and we were the only ones unaware of what had happened,” she said.
TruthNigeria learned two separate attacks at the same exact time claimed four people five to ten miles away. The attacks killed two people each in Kwatas and Bargesh communities, adding to a series of ongoing assaults on the majority Christian area which had killed more than 30 people since the Nigerian army reportedly imposed peace agreements on local farmers in May according to tribal leaders.
Governor, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, has described the attacks as “both tragic and intolerable.” He ordered the police and military to intensify investigations to bring the perpetrators to justice.
But rumors of more impending attacks in the area persist even as the victims were laid to rest on September 7, TruthNigeria has learned.
Masara Kim is a Conflict Reporter in Jos and the Senior Editor of TruthNigeria
