No fewer than twelve people were killed and seven others sustained various degrees of injuries following a simultaneous attack by gunmen on five communities in Barakin-Ladi and Riyom local areas of Plateau.
The Nigerian Tribune learned that the communities, namely Kwi, Bachit, Foron, Heipang, and Wereng, were under organized attack at about 8:30 p.m. on Sunday for close to two hours as gunmen in large numbers swooped on the communities.
It was gathered that the gunmen arrived in the communities on motorcycles at the same time, went on a killing spree, and destroyed properties before bolting away virtually at the same time.
A prominent community leader who preferred to remain anonymous disclosed that the gunmen who had laid siege in the area divided themselves into various communities to carry out the dastardly act adding that the residents were caught off guard and therefore could do nothing to confront the attackers.
Giving the breakdown, the community disclosed that four people were killed in Heipang, one in Kwi, and two in Foron, all in Barakin-Ladi local government, while another three were killed in Wereng and two in Bachit, adding that seven also sustained injuries.
The National President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Barrister Dalyop Solomon, said prior to the attack, there were reports of a plan to attack six local government areas in the state, adding that the planned attack actually played out with the recent attack on communities in the state.
Solomon pointed out that the recent cases of isolated killings and invasions of communities were part of the ploy to frustrate farming this season and, by extension, territorial expansion.
According to him, the latest unprovoked attacks on the five communities have heightened tension and apprehension in all the affected areas, and he called on the security agencies to wade in and fish out the perpetrators.
When contacted, the spokesman of the Plateau State Police Command, DSP Alfred Alabo, who confirmed the attack, said men of the command and other security agencies in the state have been drafted to the affected communities.
“We are on top of the situation, and we are not resting on our oars; the perpetrators will be brought to book,” he said.
