A woman from Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State has shared a heartbreaking account of how her husband and daughter died in her arms during a violent bandit attack on their community.

Speaking with conflict journalist Masara Kim Usman, the grieving widow recalled how the attackers surrounded the village, blocked all escape routes, and moved from house to house taking lives. According to her, the bandits also burnt down the village clinic, leaving wounded residents with no chance of receiving medical help.

She explained that on the day of the attack, she had gone to the market, leaving her family at home. While returning, she noticed the road had been blocked and gunshots rang out in every direction. Fearing for her life, she kept her head down inside the vehicle until they passed the area.

It wasn’t until she got closer to the village that she learned the attackers had already taken over the entire community.

“That day was not my day to die. God saved me,” she said.
“But by the time I got home, everything had changed.”

According to her, the bandits stormed their house without warning and opened fire on her husband and daughter. She watched them collapse, bleeding heavily as she held them.

She recalled her daughter pleading for help and begging to be taken to the hospital, but the attackers had blocked all routes and threatened to kill anyone attempting to flee. With the clinic burned down and no way to escape, her husband and daughter died in her arms.

“Their blood was all over me,” she said tearfully.
“There was nothing I could do. Now they are gone, and I thank God that I am still alive.”

Despite her immense grief, the widow said she is choosing to lean on her faith, urging other widows and orphans affected by the ongoing violence to seek strength in God.

She described the day as a “black day” for the community but thanked God for giving her the courage to carry on.