A disturbing surge in rape attacks targeting women and girls in rural villages has prompted Plateau State authorities to launch an investigation, with at least one suspect arrested in connection with the violence. The latest incident involved the brutal gang-rape of three teenage girls, aged 12, 14, and 15, in a village 35 miles south of the state capital, Jos.
According to officials and town leaders, the attacks are attributed to Fulani militants seeking to expand their territorial control and intimidate local residents. The Fulani, a majority-Muslim tribe with an estimated 10 million members in Nigeria, have been linked to escalating violence in recent years. While many Fulani are engaged in peaceful pursuits, militant groups identifying as Fulani have been responsible for a staggering six times more deaths than Boko Haram in recent years, according to the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust.
Last year alone, Fulani militants jointly killed around 5,000 Nigerian Christians, according to Intersociety, an international nonprofit tracking genocide around the world. This figure represents a 39.2 percent drop from 8,222 Christian murders the previous year.
Fulani militants jointly killed around 5,000 Nigerian Christians, according to Intersociety, an international nonprofit tracking genocide around the world
Local residents attribute the decrease in part to timely warnings of imminent attacks, which enabled communities to prepare for self-defense. However, self-defense volunteers, often armed with makeshift weapons, have faced intense gunfire from terrorists wielding assault and sniper rifles, resulting in the loss of many lives.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang recently expressed concern over the escalating situation in Plateau State, stating that the security challenges are “deliberate” and “orchestrated” to distract the state from its economic potential. The governor revealed that over 300 women and girls have fallen prey to sexual abuse at the hands of terrorists and opportunists exploiting the vulnerability of impoverished survivors. Furthermore, more than 400 children have been trafficked out of the state, with many being sold by their parents due to poverty.
The security challenges are “deliberate” and “orchestrated” to distract the state from its economic potential
The numbers add to a disturbing trend of sex slavery and exploitation targeting women and girls in displaced farming communities. According to Mrs. Anyamus Nuhu Magit, an official with a women’s development association in Plateau State, her organization has recorded over 100 cases of such incidents recently. The treasurer of the Nigerian Women Progressive Development Initiative expressed fears of increased hunger and desperation for vulnerable women in the state, as many farmlands have been left fallow due to the threats of rape and violence.
Olivia Dazyam, Chairperson of the Gender and Equal Opportunity Rights Commission, Plateau State, confirmed the situation, stating that “quite a number of these women have gone to the farms and have not come back.” Many have been raped and killed, with a suspect arrested in connection to a recent gang-raping of three teenage girls by terrorists.
The incident occurred on February 3rd, when the Christian girls went to gather firewood near their village of Rim, located in the Riyom county. The terrorists, armed with machetes, trapped them in the woods and threatened to kill them. The statement from a tribal association in Riyom quoted one of the victims as saying that the terrorists raped them mercilessly.
Since 2001, approximately 136 villages in Plateau State have been overrun by suspected Fulani terrorists
The Berom Youth Molders Association has called for thorough investigations and prosecution of suspects, condemning the defilement of the teenage girls. Since 2001, approximately 136 villages in Plateau State have been overrun by suspected Fulani terrorists, according to Rev. Mark Lipdo, head of the Stefanos Foundation in Jos.
The Plateau State government and relevant authorities must take decisive action to ensure justice for the victims and put an end to the alarming rise in rape attacks by land-grabbing terrorists. The international community must also take notice of the escalating violence and provide support to the affected communities. The time for action is now, and it is imperative that we work together to protect the rights and dignity of women and girls in Plateau State.
Sources: TruthNigeria
Read Also:Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang Warns Appointees: “No Permanent Jobs Except Mine and My Deputy’s”
