Ninety-seven-year-old Head of Shillim village, Daffo District, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Baba Magit Mallo, has vowed not to abandon his ancestral land for the Fulani herdsmen. Mallo said he won’t run away from the village for the Fulani, if the herders wanted to kill him, he was ready. He said: “Why should I run away? If they want to kill me, let them kill me. But I won’t run away from this land where my father and my grandparents were born.” The village head known in Hausa as “Mai Angwa” and his family are the only ones currently resident in Shillim village, where over 35 people, including children and women, were killed on March 8, 2018 when suspected Fulani herdsmen invaded the village and burnt down 48 houses, food items and places of worship.
When Sahara Reporters correspondent visited Shillim and other villages, it was learnt that apart from Mallo, his wife and children, all other people have fled to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp at the Regional Church Council (RCC), Daffo, for refuge. “What happened is that Fulani herdsmen attacked us on March 8, 2018 and burnt down the entire houses in the village, destroyed the houses, killed over 35 persons, including children and women. But God saved me. I spent three days in the bush before coming back. Since then, I have been staying here. My wife and children ran way for safety and left me here. She just came back a few days ago. I won’t run away; let them kill me in my ancestral land,” Mallo said.
He called on the President Muhammdu Buhari and Governor Simon Lalong to ensure the return of his people to their ancestral homes as was done in the case of Gashish in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state.