I’ve Not Recovered From The Killing Of My Pregnant Wife, Five Children – Plateau Pastor

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with support from Barnabas Aid has distributed food items worth millions of naira to People Living With Physical Disabilities (PLWD) and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Mangu and Bokkos local government areas of Plateau State.

The distribution targeted to over 1000 households, with each taking home a half bag of rice, quarter bag of garri, beans and maize. Others include gallons of palm and vegetable oil, packets of salt, maggi and sugar others.

Speaking to our correspondent at the IDP camp in St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church Bokkos, one of the victims of the 2023 Christmas Eve attack, Pastor Gideon Dawa from the Classical Presbyterian Church Bar community whose pregnant wife and five children were killed, lamented that he had been afflicted and neglected by the state government.

According to him, during the attack suspected Fulani terrorists invaded their community and killed his wife and five children.

“I had stepped out briefly to buy some items. While I was away, the terrorists came and attacked my community. My pregnant wife and five children were slaughtered. All the foodstuff I stored and my personal belongings were burnt to ashes. I only survived because I was away at the time of the attack. I haven’t recovered since then

“To be candid with you, the state government knows about what happened to me. They even came around, but they have never visited me personally not even once.

They have never asked me how I am living.

They have never asked me anything.

“In fact, they are the people who packed the burnt bones of my children. I was once invited to the Government House Chapel and introduced as a guest speaker.

The governor was there and that was the end of the story,” he said amid sobs.

Nanfwang Johnson, a 41-year-old man who spoke to our correspondent on behalf of Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWD) said his family house was burnt down during one of the attacks in Mangu.

While receiving the foods items, he  commended the Northern CAN and Barnabas Aid for their support for the less privileged.

According to him, the gesture will go a long way in ameliorating their suffering.

Reverend Fr Paul Watpe, the parish priest of St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Bokkos said the church recorded  about 9,840 internally displaced persons and 3,210 households.

He said some organisations had come to their assistance like UNICEF and Bokkos LGA adding that many individuals were also supporting them with food items.

“As a church, on our part, we contribute to support the people living within the compound here. I am so excited by this gesture from Northern CAN, with the support from Barnabas Aid because we never expect this.

“For some months now, nobody had brought anything, and we were beginning to be discouraged, wondering how we would continue to handle these people,” he said.