At least 15 people have been confirmed dead following renewed attacks by gunmen in communities within Bokkos and Mangu Local Government Areas of Plateau State.
The attacks occurred on Thursday night in Manja community of Chakfem District, Mangu LGA, and Tangur community in Bokkos LGA.
According to sources, the assailants invaded both communities at separate times, unleashing violence and causing panic among residents. The assault on Tangur reportedly happened around 9 p.m., while residents were preparing to retire for the night. The Chakfem incident was said to have occurred earlier in the evening.
Witnesses said the attackers operated for a while in each location, firing sporadically and breaking into homes before fleeing the scenes.
Confirming the incident, Shohotden Mathias Ibrahim, Director of Culture, Mwaghavul Development Association, and also Director of the IDP (Pilot Science) Camp in Mangu, said seven persons were killed in the Mangu attack. He described the situation as tense and called for urgent intervention.
Sources in Bokkos also confirmed that eight persons lost their lives in the Tangur attack, bringing the total number of fatalities to 15. However, efforts to reach some community leaders in the area were unsuccessful as messages sent to them were yet to be acknowledged.
The security agents are yet to respond to calls and text messages as of the time of filing this report Friday morning.
