The terrorist group popularly known as Boko Haram, which has repeatedly claimed responsibility for most of the deadly attacks in the northern part of Nigeria in the past year, has again claimed responsibility for last weekend’s deadly attacks in Plateau State.
Saturday’s attacks targeted communities in Riyom and Barikin Ladi Local Government Areas of the state, killing over a hundred people in the area, including two prominent politicians that include a federal lawmaker, Senator Gyang Dantong, and a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Gyang Fulani, who is also the majority leader in the Assembly.
The two politicians were killed after they had attended mass burial ceremonies of the victims of the previous day’s brutal attack by person’s previously thought to be Fulani herdsmen, who stole into the village to slaughter innocent residents.
Claiming it was responsible for the attacks, a Boko Haram spokesperson who spoke to a popular online medium said the group was avenging what it called “continued injustice against Muslims in Plateau State.”
A Sunday statement from the Plateau State Commissioner from Information, Abraham Yiljap confirmed the death of Mr. Datong, who has been a member of the Senate of the Federal Republic since 2007. He was re-elected in 2011 to serve another 4-year term.
“The senator representing Plateau North, Gyang Dantong, and the majority leader of the state assembly, Gyang Fulani, were gunned down today by Fulani herdsmen,” said Pam Ayuba, spokesman for Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang.
After attending Sunday’s mass burial, the two officials went to a reception at the home of another local leader in the state’s Gashis district, roughly 90 kilometres (56 miles) from the capital Jos, Ayuba said.
The deadly events of the weekend may have forced the beleaguered government of President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday evening to commence a closed-door, top-level security meeting with service chiefs and other security officials. It was not clear what the outcome of the meeting was as those in attendant were not forthcoming with details of the event.