Need Support for the Miango Community and Surrounding Villages Invaded by the Fulani Herdsmen Militias

by Rev. Stephen Baba Panya | The Fulani Jihadists herdsmen are in the very minority who move around tending their  cattle . However, they are so well armed and move about causing serious havoc in terms of destruction of lives and properties that, they have been officially listed as the fourth most dangerous terrorist  group in the world today.

Download Situational Report of the Miango Community and Surrounding Villages Invasion by the Fulani Herdsmen Militias

Financial help needed in burring the dead and rebuilding the Miango Community and Surrounding Villages.

Many of us are already aware of the incessant attacks of Miango communities by Fulani Jihadist herdsmen Militia. Above you will find the link to a report by our Crisis Relief Desk from eye witnesses of the evil carnage that took place . Our sources are very authentic. However, be warned that the attached report and images displayed below on the Miango genocide by Fulani Jihadist Herdsmen malitia  against the Miango Christian Community contains very graphic images that some may not be able to watch.

Miango is basically a Christian populated land with majority  of them belonging to the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA)  church, a consequence  of the former Sudan Interior Missions (SIM) mission work in the area.

The Fulani Jihadists herdsmen are in the very minority who move around tending their  cattle . However, they are so well armed and move about causing serious havoc in terms of destruction of lives and properties that, they have been officially listed as the fourth most dangerous terrorist  group in the world today. Despite this, they have the tacit and sometimes open support of the Moslem dominated Federal Government because of the Islamic conspiracy against Christians in Nigeria.

It has become a common  pattern that while the Fulani Jihadists  consistently kill and maim whole peoples and communities, none has ever been arrested, talk more of being persecuted, because they have the support of Muslim dominated Federal government and security outfits which are all headed by Muslims. On the other hand, soon after the Fulani Jihadists have done their worst with the security men staying aloof and sometimes under their cover like it happened  recently in the Miango carnage, the security men usually rush in and then arrest community members trying to use  local weapons like matches, cutlasses and den guns for self defence and then, they  parade them on the media as the trouble makers and aggressors. This has been the consistent pattern of operation of security men when it comes to Muslim / Christian conflicts or more appropriately, the systematic genocide of Christians by these Fulani Jihadist herdsmen militia..

Christian communities, especially in the predominant Christian Middlebelt areas of Nigeria, are left defenceless by the Federal Government, and  are in fact deliberately and very wickedly stripped of any self defence  and left at the mercy of Fulani Jihadist herdsmen,  who are well armed with the most  sophisticated weapons which they are using to carry  out a systamic genocide against Christians.

Our Prayers:

1. We need Brethren all over the world to join us in pleading with God for mercy and deliverance from the oppression of Fulani Jihadist herdsmen militia  and the Muslim Fulani dominated Federal Government of Nigeria who are supporting them. President Buhari himself is a Fulani Muslim and while he has hypocritically condemned terrorist acts abroad and the persecution of Rohinja Muslims in Myammar, he  has refused to condemn this evil terrorist  carnage by his kinsmen back at home in Nigeria.
2. Pray that God will specially comfort the traumatised survivors of the evil carnage. The harrowing experience that the survivors went through and the pain of loosing whole family members are just to unimaginable.
3. Much as it is very difficult to do this right now when we are all in severe pains for loss of loved ones, lets pray that God would give us the grace to pray for the salvation of these Jihadists, that they would encounter Christ and bow and submit to His Lordship.
4. We need Brethren all over the world to send help in cash and kind, so that we can give emergency relief to the affected Miango communities. Many are internally displaced and have no food, water, clothing and other basic needs. The need is great and desperate. Relief materials scan be sent to EMS of ECWA’s Head Office, ECWA Headquarters, No. 1 Noad Avenue, Jos, Nigeria.

EMS  Crisis Relief Desk is already reaching out to the affected victims. We need  much more help. Cash support can be paid into any of the following accounts and please text or email (crossborders@emsofecwa.org) us to let us know so that we can use the funds for that purpose.

I oversee the EMS Crisis Relief desk and you can reach me by phone at : +(234) 8135910361 (Overseas) / 08135910361 (Nigerians). May the Lord bless you as you respond to help His people in desperate need in Jesus name. Amen

SITUATIONAL REPORT OF THE MIANGO COMMUNITY AND SURROUNDING VILLAGES INVASSION BY THE FULANI HERDSMEN MILITIAS

It is about one month now since the Miango community began to experience a series of attacks that have led to the loss of many lives and properties.  These attacks have been carried out by Fulani Jihadists Herdsmen Militias under the guise of being a reprisal for a single Fulani man who was attacked and killed as a result of a false alarm raised.

Immediately after that killing, community leaders swiftly apologized for the mistake to the leadership of the Fulani and also promised to fish out the perpetrators of the crime.  Subsequently some arrests were indeed made.  However, the Fulani leadership refused to understand with the situation and took advantage of this mistake to advance their Jihad by killing many people and destroying properties in several villages in the past 4 weeks.

The attack in Ta’agbe community which took place on the 15^th of October, 2017 at midnight is the 5^th attack in four weeks.  This attack was carried out by Fulanis Jihadists who where neighbors with the victims.  The attackers succeeded in killing 6 people (2 children, 1 elderly man and 3 women); 3 women and 2 children also sustained bullet wounds. These 5 persons are currently in the hospital and are receiving treatment.  Prior to this current attack, the community recorded four different attacks in Ncha, Kpara, Nkiendonworo and Rikwe Chongu.  In these attacks about 25 lives were lost and properties destroyed including 19 houses in total with every valuable inside.

Mr. Joshua whose family was directly affected reports that the attackers came in at 12 midnight through the way they use to go to the stream to fetch water.  Meanwhile they were in the mountains keeping vigilant.  He saw 8 persons in total, while 4 people went into the house with explosives and set fire.    The 4 outside were keeping watch and shooting continuously in the air to scare people from coming close.  Joshua had no capacity to go and rescue his family members.  He could only think of running away.  For about 30 minutes the attackers were there shooting and setting everything in sight on fire.  The granary was also set on fire with all the food stored in it.  Every single room was set on fire, while 3 persons were shot and hacked with machetes.  Out of the 6 people killed, 3 where completely burnt beyond recognition, 1 sustained serious burns only 2 not burnt.

Currently thousands of people have been displaced, mostly women and child even from other isolated villages out of fear of being attacked.  The displaced persons are currently being accommodated in the homes of relatives and other neighboring houses.  Some have travelled as far as Jos while those who have no place to go remain in their villages and hundreds are camped at the ECWA Bishara 1 in Miango.  A better arrangement will be made in days to come to properly camp them in the primary school in Chinye, Miango town.  The status of these IDPs is barely known adequately.  The community members are trying to respond to their needs in the area of food and water supply.  However, the need is great and many families are already housing a lot of people beyond their capacity.   As for those who are camped in the church to be transferred to the primary school subsequently, it is not known how their needs can be met.

As long as the community remains unsafe, it means that they will not be able to harvest their farm produce.  This is harvest time and if this is not done this means there will be hunger in the land soon.  Children are not in school and if schools will be occupied by the displaced persons in Miango town, children within Miango cannot attend school as well.

The immediate need of the situation currently includes the following:

• The need for a habitable environment for accommodation for the IDPs
• There is need for food supply to feed them.
• There is high need for water supply.
• The suggested environment to keep them now needs good toilet facilities.
• The need for medical services to care for those who may be sick.
• The need for buckets, blankets and utensils and clothes.
• Security in the camp for proper checks.

When the security situation has improved resettlement of the displaced citizens will begin.  This is to ensure a quick return to their homes to begin harvest of their farm produce.

Five people currently in the hospital, 3 women and 2 boys

Sample pictures of houses burnt

Update at the point of completing this report. , On the night of 25^th October, 2017 at Nkiedonwhro village, a fresh attack which left 27 people dead in a primary school class room where the military deceptively lured innocent villagers under a pretense of safety in a primary school.    The military who were stationed in that primary school later abandoned it and allowed the Fulani Jihadists to attack.  The Fulani attacked and killed 27 people.   Only 1 woman escaped into the bush and watched with dismay how the Fulanis attacked and killed every one inside as the Military lied quietly in the bushes without responding to the attacking Fulanis.   The people had been in the process of moving to safety in a nearby village when the military made it’s bogus offer of safety at the primary school.   Unknown to them that promise of safety was actually a trick and became the end of their lives here on Earth.

Details of the series of attacks

1. Hukke community 9^th September, 2017, 2 persons killed including a soldier and one soldier sustain bullet wounds who later died
2. Nkiedonhwro community 8^th October, 2017 1 killed and another wounded
3. Kpachudu 10t October – A young man, Solomon Elisha killedallegedly by a Mobile Policeman, member of STF
4. Nzhweruvo and Tafigana – 11^th October 3 dead and Houses razed down
5. Rikwe Chongu – 12^th October, Houses razed down
6. Ta’egbe – 14^th October, 6 dead, 5 injured and houses razed
7. Nkiendonhwro 16^th October, 29 dead, 3 injured at a school used as a Camp and protected by security.
8. About 31 houses so far razed
9. Approximately 1000 families displaced from the villages affected and other villages who fear attack.

We pray for a good support from concerned individuals, organizations and governments to restore life back to normalcy in the affected communities and Miango as well.  There is need to rebuild confidence and trust in displaced persons and to ensure security for them to return home.  Meanwhile their immediate need is still a huge challenge that we need people to respond to immediately.

Joshua’s Story

I will never forget the moment when the sweet still silence of that cool October night was suddenly shattered by rapid-fire gunshots.  It was midnight, 15^th October 2017.

Our little village of Ta’agbe is surrounded by hills so it seemed a good idea for the men of the village to keep a vigilant watch from the hills and allow others to get some rest.    No one had rested very well for several nights since the attacks by Fulani Jihadists had begun on villagers in the Miango area.

I counted eight men.  Four with guns stayed outside shooting their guns in the air to cause commotion and raise the level of fear, dissuading people from running out of the houses.   A chill raced through me as I asked myself the question, “Where did simple herdsmen get access to such sophisticated weaponry?”   The other four entered the houses with explosives and began setting the houses on fire.   They set on fire everything in sight, even our granaries.

Another chill swept through my body; I recognized some of these men; they had been our neighbors!

In an instant a host of different emotions flooded through me.   I felt like a coward for not rushing down the mountainside to rescue my family; yet what could I do – these men had sophisticated weapons.   I would be dead before I could even reach my people.   I also felt helpless.   Completely helpless in the face of such weaponry.   For a fact, there was nothing I could do to save my family.    At the same time I felt strangely lucky to be in this place of safety.    Did God have me here for a reason?

Within just a few minutes the attackers were gone.    In less then 30 minutes it was all over, the fires were already dying down.   We climbed down the mountainside to find 3 bodies burned beyond recognition, 3 people shot and hacked by machete.    The dead included 2 children, 1 elderly man and 3 women.

Perhaps God spared me just so I could tell you this story.

Asabe John Story

I hadn’t slept for days, ever since the attacks by Fulani Jihadist Militias had started on our villages near Miango.   No one had slept much these last few nights.    Now I was lying on the floor in a primary school classroom.   I was about to doze off when I suddenly realized that it become very quiet.   Too quiet.    The noise of the soldiers who had been patrolling around the classroom where we were all gathered had ceased.    What was happening?    Surely all the soldiers would not just suddenly stand still at the same moment.    I got up and looked out the window near to where I had been lying.  I thought I saw soldiers disappearing into the bush.   Why would the soldiers be leaving?   They were the ones helping us.

Earlier that day many of us from my village had been making our way through the bush headed for another village where we thought we would be safer.   On our way we met with soldiers who told us of a security post they had recently established at a nearby primary school.    They persuaded us to follow them there.   We were all in one classroom, feeling very safe with soldiers all around us.   That is until everything got quiet, and I looked out the window and saw the soldiers disappearing into the bush.

Then it happened.  From the other side of the classroom the door burst open and Fulani Jihadists burst in with automatic weapons.   I was already hanging out the window, so I just dropped to the ground outside.  Bratatat, Bratatat, Bratatat, Bratatat, Bratatat, Bratatat.  I could hear the sound of the guns firing but I didn’t look back.    I just ran.

From my hiding place in the bush, I heard the voices of people I knew shouting amidst the sound of the gunfire.   Suddenly all was quiet.  Then I heard the distinctive rhythm of Fulfulde as voices inside the classroom shouting orders and questions.    The sound of people running away. Then all was quiet again.

Twenty seven of my family and dearest friends lay still in the classroom; their spirits departed to a better place.

And there I was crouching in the bush.  The soldiers hadn’t seen me.    But I saw them, hiding in the bush too.

Rev. Stephen Panya Baba is the former Director of Evangelical Missionary Society (EMS).