The wife of Pastor Mimang Lekyil, who was killed alongside seven others by suspected Fulani militias in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, has shared a harrowing account of the attack, saying her husband was deliberately targeted.
Pastor Lekyil, who led the Local Church Council (LCC) of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Kwakas-Mushere, Bokkos, was shot dead inside the pastorium, while his wife sustained severe injuries, including shattered legs.
In a video interview shared on social media on Thursday by conflict journalist Masara Kim Usman, Mrs. Lekyil recounted the terrifying moments the attackers invaded their home:
“On the day my husband was killed, my sister and her son were visiting us. After praying that night and as we were about to sleep, my husband went into the bathroom. Suddenly, some Fulani boys, very young and all armed, burst into the house. There were about five or six of them,” she said.
Mrs. Lekyil explained how the assailants immediately singled out her husband:
“I whispered to my husband to come inside the room. He asked me what had happened, and I told him that Fulani boys had entered the house. As he followed me inside, they saw him coming out from the bathroom and called, ‘Baba, ka zo’ (‘Baba, come here’), insisting he go with them into the room. I thought they wanted to kidnap him, but then they started shooting.”
She added: “They closed the door and continued spraying bullets while ordering us to come out. I kept hoping that the vigilante group or the soldiers nearby would come to our aid, but no one did. The attackers shot all around the room, including the doors. I didn’t even realize my husband had been killed until it was over. They also shot me, shattering my leg, and after they left, they kidnapped my sister.”
The widow’s account underscores the calculated nature of the attack and the continuing security challenges facing communities in Bokkos LGA.