Outrage in Bassa as 7 Plateau attack victims get mass burial

 

Residents and community leaders in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State on Saturday conducted a mass burial for seven persons slain in a recent assault by gunmen.

The interment took place at a primary school in Miango, less than a week after nine victims of a terror attack in Dorowa Babuje, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, were buried. The ceremony was accompanied by protests, as grieving residents voiced anger over the persistent violence in the area.

Demonstrators displayed placards bearing messages such as “Irigwe lives matter,” “Stop this Christian genocide,” “End Christian Genocide in Nigeria,” “Listen to the cries of our widows,” and “Justice for the slain victims.”

The National President of the Irigwe Youths Movement, Ezekiel Bini, denounced the killings, stating, “We are tired of burying our people. We demand justice and protection for our community.

“We thought this nonsense would have stopped by now after two decades. We can no longer take this nonsense again. We have been crying, and no one seems to hear us. And when we say there is Christian genocide going on, some people won’t believe it. But right here, among the corpses, there is a Fulani man who is a Christian.”

Bini also faulted what he described as the arrest of community members over separate incidents, saying, “No Irigwe man should take responsibility for something we don’t know.

“We will not take it. If you arrest any Irigwe because of the death of any cow, we will not take it again. Enough is enough.”

The Paramount Ruler of the Irigwe ethnic nationality, His Royal Highness Ronku Aku, characterised the occasion as “a dark day for our community.”

He pointed to open grazing as a central issue, adding, “Our problem is open grazing. My people are being killed. Open grazing must stop for us to have peace in Nigeria. I’m calling on the government to intervene in this matter. You can’t be a Chief without the people.”

Chairman of Bassa Local Government Area, Joshua Riti, assured residents that the council was working with security agencies to track down those responsible for the attack.

Among those interred was Abbas Musa, a graduate of Enugu State University of Science and Technology and a health officer with Bassa LGA, who was shot dead at his residence on Monday, February 23, 2026.

Five members of the same family — Nancy Monday, Nuhu Isaiah, Henry Dah, Zongo Sunday, and Tarma Monday — were also buried. They were reportedly trailed into their bedrooms and killed by the attackers on February 26, 2026.

The latest killings have further escalated tension within the community, with residents renewing calls for stronger security measures to forestall additional loss of life.

(PUNCH)