The 18 victims of the Wednesday attack on Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State have been given a mass burial.
The victims were killed when suspected bandits attacked Ancha community in the early hours of Wednesday.
During the attack on the village said to have lasted several hours, the gunmen set several houses on fire and destroyed other valuables belonging to the natives, while many people also sustained injuries.
The President of Irigwe Youths Development Association, Ezekiel Bini, told The PUNCH in Jos on Thursday that those who were killed during the attack had been given a mass burial in three different locations.
Bini said, “You know that the attacks were carried out in different places within the Ancha community. Some of the victims were burnt beyond recognition.
“So, after we went round the village in search of the victims, the 18 corpses were assembled in three places and given a mass burial in groups of eleven, five and two.”
Bini lamented that despite the Wednesday killings in Ancha village, the gunmen returned to the village on Thursday and destroyed some farms.
He added, “The people are tired of conducting mass burial for their kins and are leaving in constant fear because of the activities of the attackers.
“There are so many unanswered questions regarding the issue of ongoing insecurity in the council area.
“Is it that those responsible for these attacks are not known? Why is it difficult for the government to stop them from killing innocent people?
It was learnt that following the unabated onslaught on the people, Bini led his members to boycott a peace meeting with stakeholders called by the government on Thursday.
He said, “Anytime there is an attack on our people, the government will call for a peace meeting. We have held series of peace meetings in the past. But what is the result? Continuous attack on our people,
“So, when the government, through the State Building Agency, called us for another meeting today (Thursday) after 18 of our people were killed, I said I will not go because what is the point of going for a peace meeting that has never yielded the desired results?
It was however learnt that the peace meeting held under the auspices of Plateau Inter-Religious Council, held in Jos on Thursday.
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