Yakubu Busari
One of the victims of the recent attacks in Barkin Ladi local government area of Plateau state yesterday narrated how his driver-licence exposed his identity in the hands of gun attacks that perpetrated the Major highway and the new bypass leading to other parts of the state.
The survivor, Abdulnasir Khamis who was on the 12 August attacked along Due-Bisichi road while driving to Mangu LGA to sell bread said the incident occurred when the attackers threw a heavy stone which prevented his Astra car to move further.
Kahmis while narrating his ordeal to Journalists at the Plateau Specialist Hospital where he is currently receiving medical treatment said, ” on the 12 of August on my way to Mangu LGA to sell bread, when suddenly some Berom hoodlums threw a heavy stone against my car from the front and stopped me.
“As soon as the car stopped, the attackers all gathered around me and began to interrogate my identity as regard to my religion and tribe, on hearing that I got worried that my life has finished.
“But understanding where they were heading to, I pretended that I am neither Muslim nor Hausa. At the beginning, they seemed to have agreed but some hesitated and asked for my driver’s-licence to ensure whether my first claim was true or not.
“Seeing that my driver’s-licence bears Abdulnasir Nasir, they concluded that I am a Muslim and lied to them, thereby started they started to cut me with their Machetes.
“I started fighting back but was later overwhelmed because they were 8 in number. So because of the nature of the injuries I had sustained, they thought I had died and put me in the boot of my car and set it ablaze. As soon as they left, I tried and luckily and opened the boot and in the process, suddenly the security operatives arrived the scene and rescued me to the hospital. My friend who arrive the scene of the incident in the other car was up till now nowhere to be found and his car was equally burnt. From there I only saw myself on the hospital bed. That is what I can remember and I am sure that the perpetrators are Berom because it is their location. The area of the attack is much closed to Due which is Berom community, “he added.
Meanwhile, the employer of the victim, Nasa’i Khamis, has written a formal letter of complaint to the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, for showing no concern on the victim and to investigate the incident.
Khamis while lamenting on the acts also called on government and security concerned to as a matter of urgency embark on thorough investigation to bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack.
He said allowing the matter to die down without taking further action or giving punishment would not help in preventing such occurrence rather it would pave way for further attacks.
He however called on the security in the state to help in finding the other missing driver in the area where the incident occurred, adding that the family of the missing person had been worried about the whereabouts of their son.
