A 37-year-old father of three, Isaac Dung, has recounted his harrowing escape from a bandit attack in Plateau State by pretending to be lifeless. The incident occurred on Thursday night in the Rantiya community of Jos South Local Government Area, when a large group of armed men, believed to be Fulani militias, stormed the area.
According to Dung, he was returning from work when he spotted the attackers riding into the village on numerous motorcycles. Estimating the number of assailants to be over a hundred, he realized the danger was imminent as they were heavily armed.
“Suddenly, they started firing indiscriminately, shouting ‘Allah Akbar.’ It felt like a scene from a war movie. People were fleeing in all directions, trying to find cover in bushes and rocks. However, due to a leg injury, I knew I couldn’t outrun them,” Dung explained.
Thinking quickly, he decided to drop to the ground and play dead. As the bandits approached, he heard one of them say in Hausa, “arnen ya mutu” (the infidel is dead). After they left, Dung remained still for safety and later crawled into the bush, hiding there for over five hours before making his way home.
The attack resulted in the deaths of two vigilantes and injuries to about 15 others. Dung credits his survival to a combination of quick thinking and divine intervention.