The tears of the people of Irigweland occasioned by the continuous attacks on the communities can only be imagined, yet it cannot be lost on the desire for peace in the state. Since March 23, 2020, a number of lives have been lost without any of the assailant being caught in the act. KATDAPBA Y. GOBUM takes a look at the pains of the loss in the last one month. It may be news to some; however, to bury the fact that Plateau State communities have suffered untold hardships coming in the wake of several murderous attacks is to relate the history of the obvious. What perhaps may be the point of concern to all men and women of goodwill is that in over two decades; no one has been punished as being responsible for the attacks. As sad as it can be, today, what the communities in the state are reminded of often are the cries, horrors and the condemnation of the attacks. If it goes beyond this, perhaps what the communities are told is the fact that government is on top of the situation and perpetrators will be brought to justice. We never get to see any determined push to achieve that. As it stands, the ‘unknown gunmen’ are what the people of Bokkos, Mangu, Bassa, Jos South, Riyom, Barkin Ladi, and others where such attacks had taken place and made to believe are responsible for killing their loved ones. Such has been the calamity whose proportion daily expands as no concrete action is put to reveal the perpetrators of the dastardly act. If any community has suffered untold hardships and attacks in years running, the Irigwe communities of Bassa local government area of Plateau State standout and have lots to tell the world. There is no denying the fact; several families have tales to tell of what they have gone through in the hands of the killers of their family members. So far, close to about 50 lives have been wasted lately. As painful as what they have been made to go through; there have also been several peace moves between and amongst members of the communities of the local government area, the attacks have increase and become thicker in consistency. The number of casualties has continued to increase by the day; leaving the land in ruins and devastated beyond comprehension. Often when it takes place, the questions that are asked are: Would they have been safe had they been living elsewhere? For how long would the attacks continue? Why have no one been apprehended for the attacks? Why have security agencies always told the world, they will get to the root of the attacks, yet they are daily killed? These are questions and concerns that should hunt government and those who have made the recurrent attacks as a business. I am aware of past efforts to bring the sides to a peace table. While on these sides, there may have been genuine need for reconciliation, it is possible to conclude that there are still some people who appear bent on inflicting pains on the community. Who would have thought that at a time when communities are totally locked down or near it would be visited and scores mowed down in the most atrocious manner? Who would have imagined that at a time when attention has been shifted to saving humanity, a community could be brazenly visited and people in the community who could not run for dear life hacked mercilessly. The gory pictures of the charred bodies: Izinpa Muntu, 72, Madah Imeh, 80, Jummai Geye, 78, Gado Muntu, 67, Mary Alhassan, 70, Gado Ngulu, 90 and Rigwe Muntu, 84; who were killed at Hulke and Nkyiedongwro on April 1, 2020 are indeed a sad reminder of the lack of concern for human life wherever such attacks take place. This is not the first time these same communities were attacked. They were burnt in their homes beyond recognition. Whether the attacks were coordinated on the communities in Ancha, Hukke, Nkyiedongwro, Kpenrie and Gbra Zongu, or not, the truth is that the killers are on the prowl ostensibly to continue to increase their pains. These elements have been unrestrained right from 2001, but let’s quickly ask what voice has been added to ending the struggle by the representatives of the area; particularly Hon Haruna Maitala the man who represent the Jos/Bassa Federal Constituency. Methinks he has been quiet on these sad developments, and if representing the people means service, I shudder to think that we have a long way to go; or rather he is deliberately refusing to be on the side of the people. Pray, tell us why the man may not have said anything, indicating he feels their pains and or support what may have taken place in the Irigwe communities. In one of the attacks, two soldiers were also killed by the attackers. Here’s a state that has spent millions to mobilize its citizens to stop recurrent attacks on the people. If the Nigerian authorities does not ‘confront this brazen, bloodletting and arrogant defiance to constituted authority’ by the militias in the state and elsewhere; which has consumed innocent lives in large proportion over the years. If we consider the areas of the attacks, they may have been visited before by the invading bandits; who perhaps conscious of presence of the security agents would invade without let and disappear when they are satisfied collateral damage may have been done. True to type, whether it was at Ngbra-zongo or Maiyanga; they have succeeded in sending the natives away to other villages where their relations reside. Pastor Matthew Tagwai of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) who only recently was transferred to Zongo as was three others were not spared; just as at Ahura, Maiyanga, the attackers spilled the blood of 25 year old pregnant woman as was Margaret Wakili around July 2019. The children were not spared; by the time the world woke up about nine lives had been snuffed from people in the ages of three to the granddad who was reported to have gone in search of his grandson who also lost his life in the attack on April 14, 2020. Since March 23, 2020 the Irigwe communities have not known peace, as the attackers have traversed the land with impunity by invading these communities without being challenged. Despite the fact that only last week Governor Simon Bako Lalong gave an order to fish out to fish out perpetrators of these heinous attacks, could it not have been possible to have had the whole communities flooded with a number of security operatives to carry out the order? The attackers won’t allow peace a chance. But that is the worry of these communities, which through the Irigwe Development Association; for when Hon Sunday Abdu, President of the Irigwe Development Association spoke to the press through a prepared text on April 3, 2020, he lamented the absence of peace in the land ‘owing to the wicked activities of herdsmen who have continued to destroy farmlands in an attempt to weaken the economic life of our people’. Continuing he said, ‘We are however worried by the recent withdrawal of men of the special security task force, Operation Safe Haven from our domain. ‘When this happened beginning from 21 March, we thought it was a routine military action, and expected to see another set deployed. But it has been over a week since that action was carried out, and here we are with a resumption of hostilities on our soil. ‘It must be noted that even in the north east which has been the theatre of war with some losses incurred by the military, never is the army withdrawn. Why has our case been different? Are we to think that we are paying the price for a crime that the Fulani herdsmen committed by killing the two soldiers in question?’ The desire of the people of Irigwe land is as they go to sleep let it not be said that the marauding army will has mapped out yet areas that will be attacked.