A group, Srarina Initiative for Peace Justice and Development, has called on the Federal Government to pay N30 billion compensation to the families of the victims of an attack in Nkiendoro community in Miango District of Bassa LGA of Plateau State.
The group also called on the Chief of Defence Staff to ensure that military personnel stationed in the aforementioned community when the incident occurred are thoroughly investigated and if found guilty be punished according to the law of the nation.
DAILY POST recalls that in October 2017, Nkiendoro community was attacked by suspected terrorists, and before the attack, military personnel under Operation Safe Haven in the State, had according to leaders of the community, told residents that once there is an attack in the community they should take refuge at a primary school, where the personnel are residing.
The leaders of the community accused the military personnel of being complicit, saying after the residents had taken refuge at the primary school, they were asked to enter one of the classrooms , and therefore, the assailants came in and killed 30 people inside, without any resistance from the security operatives.
Speaking at the unveiling of a memorial signpost which has the names of the 30 victims, the team lead of the group, Barr Redzie Jugo, said: “This year we decided that as part of the commemoration of the National Day of Mourning, we will have two events; the first being this, which is coming over to Nkiendoro community in Miango, Bassa LGA of Plateau State.
“On 15th October, 2017, thirty individuals thinking that they were being led to safety by military personnel of Operation Safe Haven (Military Taskforce) into a classroom and they were gundown by terrorists.
“They were not safeguarded by those who were supposed to take care of them,” he decried.
According to him: “Since the incident occurred, we have been calling on government to fish out the military personnel that were at the helm of affairs in Nkiendoro, but nothing has been done; no one has been held to account.
“This year, we are reiterating the call, by calling on government to setup an investigative panel, to find out those who perpetrated this dastardly act, so that they can be brought to book.
“And we also want compensation to be paid for all the lives that were lost in that incident, to the tune of N1 billion per person.
“Even though it will not bring back the victims, it will show that the government means well for its citizens”, he explained.
He commended Operation Safe Haven on the recent court martial of erring officers, urging the military hierarchy to do more of such.
Also speaking, a community leader in the area, Isaiah Nshe, called on the Federal Government to ensure that justice prevails in respect of the killings in Nkiendoro.
“We are calling on the military hierarchy to ensure that those found to be complicit in the Nkiendoro incident are brought to justice, to serve as deterrent to others”, he maintained.
In her remarks, a representative of women wing of the Irigwe Development Association, Ladi Jasper, said: “Since this incident occurred, nothing has been done to our community; we are calling on the Federal Government to consider us, because we are also Nigerians.
“Many people in this community have lost love ones, like their husbands, parents and children in this particular incident.”