8 Days After Yelewata Christian Massacre, 15 Suspects Arrested
By Masara Kim
(Jos) Nigeria is reeling after a mob attack on Muslim wedding guests in Plateau State, an incident that threatens to divert attention from ongoing terror attacks targeting Christian communities in the State.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a manhunt for those responsible for the “heinous action” that left 12 people dead on June 22, condemning it as “unacceptable and barbaric.”
The violence occurred in the town of Manjul, located in the Mangun district of the Mangu County (Local Government Area) on the fringes of a region roughly 40-74 miles south of Jos, the state capital. According to Governor Caleb Mutfwang, this area has been the site of daily attacks by terrorists identifying as members of the predominantly Muslim Fulani ethnic group, who have been targeting Christian residents.
As of June 22, two days after the attack, 22 people have been arrested in connection with the violence. Tribal leaders have demanded a similar response to attacks carried out against by their own communities.
“We call for a balanced and proactive approach to security, especially one that responds swiftly to all communities in need, not only when it serves a particular narrative,” stated Kyesmang Jonathan, President of the Mwaghavul Youth Movement.
After President Bola Tinubu’s gruff order to his top police commissioner on June 18 to arrest suspects linked to the Yelewata massacre in Benue State, arrests belatedly have rolled in.
Seven days after the Yelewata massacre of 250 people, only one person had been arrested, according to press reports. The Commissioner of Police reported that one suspect had been arrested in Benue State and was cooperating with authorities. Yet by mid-day June 23, at least 15 named suspects were in custody according to Zagazola Makama.
Escalating violence and community distress
“For over a month, the Mangun District and neighboring districts of Chakfem in Mangu (County) LGA and Mushere in Bokkos LGA have endured coordinated terrorist assaults, resulting in daily casualties and mass displacements, plunging communities into mourning and distress,” Governor Mutfwang stated through his press director, Gyang Bere.
Mutfwang “expressed profound grief and described the mob action as totally condemnable and avoidable,” according to the statement.
The most recent instances involved the murder of nearly 20 locals in separate raids last Friday, late on June 19, according to tribal leaders. Community members were still reeling from burying their dead from those attacks on June 20, with rumors of more impending assaults circulating, when a minibus carrying 31 Muslims drove into the town of Manjul, according to Chairman of the Mangu County, Emmanuel Bala.
Tragic turn for wedding travelers
“Unfortunately, innocent Hausa Muslims were attacked and killed,” said Mr. Bala. “Because of what happened where people were attacked, the youths were on the alert,” Bala said in a telephone interview. “Members of the Manjul community had received reports that bandits would still attack,” Bala said. He explained that the victims hailing from Zaria in Kaduna State, were on their way to a wedding ceremony in the southern Qua’an Pan County in Plateau State but “mistakenly took the road to Mangun, and they were attacked by mob.”
Survivors recounted arriving in the town around 6 p.m. and being attacked while asking for directions. One survivor, Ibrahim Umar, told Daily Trust, “We stopped and asked some people for directions, but before we knew it, they surrounded the vehicle. They burned the bus with the [people] inside.”
Presidential condemnation and call for accountability
In a swift response, President Tinubu directed the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to collaborate with other security and intelligence agencies to ensure those responsible for the attack are held accountable. In a statement issued by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, Mr. Tinubu vowed “not to allow the dastardly act to go unpunished.”
“The state government must work with security agents to get to the root of this recent incident and use it as a deterrent against future occurrences,” Tinubu said. “Freedom of movement by all citizens is non-negotiable. We will not tolerate any attempt by anyone or group of people to curtail that fundamental freedom through acts of extreme violence and fear.”
Masara Kim is a conflict reporter in Jos and a senior editor at TruthNigeria
