The Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) of the Catholic Diocese of Yola, in partnership with Mission Take Heart, has donated food items and other relief materials to residents of Wagga community in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State following the recent insurgent attack in the area.
Presenting the items on behalf of the Catholic Diocese of Yola and Mission Take Heart, the Coordinator of JDPC Yola Diocese, Rev. Fr. Maurice Kwairanga, said the gesture was aimed at cushioning the hardship faced by the victims of the attack.
“The Church found it necessary to bring these food items to support you during this difficult period,” Fr. Maurice stated. “Mission Take Heart has already deployed resources to rebuild some of the houses burnt down during the attack. But we are also appealing to both the state and federal governments to strengthen security presence in this area to prevent future occurrences.”
He warned that if adequate security was not provided, farmers in the area could lose their harvests to insurgents.
“This is harvest season, and if security is not beefed up, the insurgents may return to cart away people’s farm produce, plunging them into more hunger,” he cautioned.
Receiving the items on behalf of the community, Ibrahim Ziliko, Acting District Head of Wagga, expressed appreciation to Mission Take Heart and the Catholic Diocese of Yola under the leadership of Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza, particularly commending the JDPC for its timely intervention.
“We are deeply grateful to Mission Take Heart and the Catholic Diocese of Yola. During the attack, we lost five people, and property worth millions of naira was destroyed. This assistance means a lot to us,” the district head said.
He appealed to the Federal Government to urgently deploy more security personnel to the area to restore confidence among residents.
“Although normalcy has gradually returned, our people still live in fear of the unknown. For over seven years, Wagga did not experience any attack, but this one was different. The insurgents looted our food and left us hungry. What we need now are more security operatives to secure our community,” he added.
A victim of the attack, Mr. Bulus Tada, who sustained gunshot injuries, recounted his harrowing experience.
“They came into my house and tried to break into my room. I shouted and warned them that anyone who dared to enter wouldn’t come out alive. That was when they opened fire and shot through the door. A bullet hit my hand,” he narrated.
Items donated to the affected residents included 25 bags of maize, 25 bags of rice, 12 bags of beans, 12 bags of groundnuts, and 25 cartons of soap.
The distribution, according to the organizers, is part of the ongoing humanitarian efforts by the Catholic Diocese of Yola through the JDPC and Mission Take Heart to support victims of violence and displacement across Adamawa State.
