THE DARK CHRISTMAS OF 2010:

BOMB BLAST AT ANGWAN RUKUBA AND GADA BIYU

It was not a white Christmas for the citizens of Jos metropolis, Plateau State, Nigeria. The yuletide season with promises of joy turned out to be a sorrowful season. In the celebration of joy, terror struck .At about 7:15pm,bomb blasts went off; two in Angwan Rukuba and about 5 in Gada Biyu, simultaneously. The first blast went off in a tavern close to where I was hanging out with friends and I quickly went out to enquire what was happening.

Curiosity nearly killed the cat. The next thing I knew was I was flung on the floor by the impact of a second bomb. As the dust cleared, I was grapped by someone soaked in blood, with torn clothes and half his limbs gone, begging for help. A popular beer joint called ‘Sauki’ was the scene of a bigger blast and scores of bodies with mangled limbs were on the floor. I counted about fifteen dead and five taken to the hospital.

Christmas turned out to be hell the next few days. No rice, stuffed turkey or curried chicken but mangled human flesh, burning bodies of victims of reprisal attacks, rioting youths and burning cars and tires. Other areas like Nassarawa, Dutse-Uku, Rikkos witnessed fights between Christians and Muslims. As of today, things are a bit calm but there is still tension.

A few days before the attack, there was news that some Muslim extremists had sent out news that Jos will not celebrate Christmas. It is vexing that Government never heeds early warning signs and equally vexing is the fact that the headquarters of the joint task force peacekeeping force called ‘operation Safe haven’ is situated close to Angwan Rukuba and the scene of the blast.

Angwan Rukuba is what I will call a G.R.A (Government Rejected Area). It is the most notorious ghetto in Jos, small but heavily populated. In recent times it has been dubbed “Jerusalem” because its youths, mostly thugs and drug fiends, have been the ones protecting Christian areas.

No body knows what device was used in the attacks. The anti bomb squad that came merely looked at the scene and proclaimed it was dynamite. Methinks it was plastic bomb. Also, the Government, security forces and military have no clue that carried out the attack. I have heard that some extremist Islamic groups claim responsibility for the attack.

Jos, formerly called the “HOME OF PEACE AND TOURISM” is now the “HOME OF PIECES AND TERRORISM”.

FRESH TROUBLE IN JOS

The Nassarawa,Angwan Rukuba,Dutse Uku areas of Jos is now embroiled in fresh trouble as a result of the maza attack.Yesterday,the 21st of July,a burial ceremony for the victims of the maza attack was organized.On seeing the dead bodies of the victims,some christian youths were enraged and started rioting and attacking muslim commercial motorcycle riders.The muslim youths in other areas retaliated and there was lynching and killings on all sides.
I do not have relaiable figures of the dead but witnessed one lynching and there are reports of about seven to ten dead.Some of the victims include the husband of a newly married christian couple who was killed at Filin ball(nassarawa) and his wife macheted,an imbecile killed at Dutse uku etc.
Fresh trouble today is the case of the soldier who was firing at christian youth and was abducted and his rifle ceased by the youths.Soldiers are now making random arrest and drilling people.
Yours truly is on the scene and will keep you updated about latest events.
Pray for my safety.

AFTERMATH OF MAZA MASSACRE

Still recovering from the maza massacre, we were informed at about 9pm that another village called Areh,close to maza,was being attacked.We tried to go to their rescue only to be stopped by the soldiers.It was a long night.Earlier this morning we made our way up the mountain and found out that one Mr. Mahauta Achi's(picture above) compound had been attacked and burnt.
I interviewed him and he told me that He was outside with his kids when his wife,who had gone to the bush to ease herself,rushed in to alert them that one of their huts was on fire.The only option they had was to escape and as they made their way out,they saw some figures beating a hasty retreat into the mountains.
At the moment the soldiers are on guard in the village but the people of Jos say they don't want the soldiers as they are not protecting them.

MASSACRE AT MAZA

MASSACRE AT MAZA

It was a cold,calm and typical midnight for the village folks of Maza village in Jos north,Plateau state of Nigeria.Unprepared they were for the feast of death about to be unleashed on them.
At about 1pm,16th of July,2010,the sleeping folks of Maza,nestled in their valley amidst the picturesque mountains of Jos,were rudely awakened by the cruel hands of death.A horde,militia style,had descended on their village from all angles and bringing with them cries of the banshee as instruments of death were freely used.Women,children,elderly men were butchered and houses,property burnt.The pastor’s wife,children,and grandchild and the counsellor’s family amongst others were the victims.It took the commendable effort of the military and security perpetrators to arrive on the scene and scare away the angels of death.
The style used by the perpetrators was similar to that used in the infamous Dogon Nahawa massacre,Jos Plateau.The perpetrators of these acts are still at large but fingers are being pointed at Muslim,Fulani characters.Jos North has been embroiled in the recent past in ethno-religious,political conflicts with hundreds of lives lost and millions of naira lost in property.
After last night’s massacre,this morning we took photographs of about ten victims.Only God knows the exact figure of the dead.Casualty figures were put to be about 500 for Dogon Nahawa.How many more are going to die before the government,religious leaders,politicians and stakeholders put a stop to this theatre of death on the Jos Plateau,the ersthwhile home of peace and tourism.

NB:These pictures are copyright of Godfrey Saeed Selbar and can only be used with express permission of the owner!