Many people were feared killed as gunmen attacked the Kubwat and Fungzai communities in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State on Monday night around 9 pm to the early hours of Tuesday.

A resident of the Fungzai community who witnessed the attacks, John Yakubu, confirmed the attacks to newsmen in Jos on Tuesday.

Yakubu said that in the Fungzai community alone, the gunmen killed 15 persons including the wife of his younger brother and her children while a total of 29 corpses had been recovered

Yakubu said, “It was last night, the gunmen arrived in large numbers and started shooting. The panicky villagers started running but unknown to them, other gunmen laid ambush and shot at those trying to run away. As I’m talking to you, I am in Fungzai village. The attackers killed 15 persons here(Fungzai) including the wife and children of my younger brother last night.

“They also attacked Kubwat, a neighboring village. So far, we have recovered a total of 29 corpses including women and children. We are in pain.”

A source from the Kubwat community added that several other persons sustained various degrees of injuries.

Meanwhile, Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, who confirmed the attack and killings in a statement signed by the director of press and public affairs in his office, Dr. Makut Simon Macham, said he woke up Tuesday morning to the distressing news of an overnight attack on Kubat village in Mangu Local Government where some persons including women and children were reportedly killed.

According to the statement, Plateau State Governor, Simon Bako Lalong, woke up Tuesday, May 16, 2023, to distressing news of an overnight attack on Kubat Village in Mangu Local Government Area where some persons, including women and children, were reportedly killed.

“Governor Lalong who is seriously disturbed about the sad development has immediately directed security forces to pursue the attackers and ensure they are arrested.

“He describes this as yet another attempt by crisis merchants and criminals to return the State to the dark days of pain and agony, vowing that the Government will stop at nothing to ensure that those behind this scheme are dealt with mercilessly.

“While condemning the act, the Governor commiserates with the victims and assures that the murderers will not be allowed to go unpunished as this is an act that can neither be tolerated nor excused no matter the motivation.

“The Governor has equally directed the State Emergency Management Agency and the Peace Building Agency to visit the area and ascertain the humanitarian need to bring succour to the affected while a thorough investigation is being carried out.”

However, the spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred did not pick up his calls when contacted on the incident but security sources said that operatives had been deployed to the affected villages, at the time of filing this report.