Some 50 people are still missing a week after sectarian violence in Nigeria’s central state of Plateau left hundreds of people dead and many property, especially houses, burnt, the private Punch newspaper reported Sunday, quoting a Nigerian Red Cross Society document.
Punch quoted the community head of Rung Forun, Daphilip Zi, as saying that the whereabouts of the missing persons were still unknown.
The state government said over 500 people were killed when armed Fulani herdsmen descended on three villages on the outskirts of the capital city of Jos last Sunday, burning houses and killing and maiming villagers in what is believed to be reprisal attacks for January’s violence in Jos. The police said only 109 people died.
The invaders are Muslims while the villagers are mostly Christians.
Zi said his community, with an estimated population of 5,000, was among the worst hit, as almost 1,000 households in the community were affected.
“An average of 500 people were killed (in the crisis). It could be more; the survivors were lucky because they could run. Women, children and the elderly were the most victims,” he said.
The state government has already given a mass burial to those who were killed, but the Red Cross said the government had not provided enough assistance for the victims.
It said the priority needs of the affected communities were food, shelter and clothing.
The Red Cross said existing tension in the community had restricted the access of other humanitarian organisations to the area.