- Daredevil gunmen attacked mourners during a mass burial in Plateau state, resulting in multiple casualties
- An eyewitness reported ongoing assaults across at least five communities amid chaotic scenes in the north-central state
- Police confirmed an attack that occurred on Tuesday, May 5, a development that highlights rising insecurity in Plateau communities
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering security matters and counter-insurgency in Nigeria and Africa.
Jos, Plateau State – Many persons are feared killed, with several others wounded, after gunmen attacked mourners during a mass burial in Nding Fan District of Barkin Ladi local government area (LGA) of Plateau state.
As reported by Vanguard, the victims were attending the burial of seven persons killed in an earlier attack on the community.
Source: Facebook
The incident, according to sources, occurred on Wednesday afternoon, May 6, as villagers gathered to conduct the burial rites.
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The assailants, who had reportedly been observing the ceremony from surrounding hills, suddenly descended on the community and opened fire on mourners as they were digging graves.
Source speaks on latest Plateau attack
An eyewitness, journalist Masara Kim, said that about five communities were simultaneously under attack by the gunmen. According to him, the mourners had barely dug a shallow grave when the attackers struck, forcing them to hastily bury the bodies and flee for safety.
The concerned journalist said amid tears:
“There is an ongoing, massive attack on communities south of Jos. More than five communities are under simultaneous assault. While we were at the burial site, the attackers emerged from the hills and began shooting.”
He added that a man was shot dead in his presence, noting that local defenders, armed with hunting guns and locally made weapons, were overwhelmed by the attackers.
Kim said he narrowly escaped, adding that many residents fled the community as the gunmen advanced, while the exact casualty figure could not be ascertained due to the chaotic situation.
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Rwang Tengwong, the publicity secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, described the situation as “terrible”, adding that efforts were underway to rescue persons trapped in the area.
Plateau attack kills family of five
Meanwhile, Channels TV also reported an attack which happened in the restive north-central state on Tuesday night, April 5. The media platform said the assault claimed the lives of a family of five.
The Plateau State Police Command confirmed the attack, stating that five persons, identified as four females and a nine-year-old boy, were killed in Barkin Ladi LGA. Three other female victims sustained varying degrees of injuries and are receiving treatment at the General Hospital.
In a statement, Alfred Alabo, the spokesperson of the police in Plateau State, said the corpses of the deceased have been deposited at the hospital mortuary.
Source: Facebook
Insecurity escalates across Plateau
Legit.ng reports that attacks, such as the latest ones, are common in Plateau. The state shares a border with the northwestern Kaduna State, where suspected bandits, a loose term for gangs of terrorists carrying out kidnap-for-ransom and mindless killings. In the past, the outlaws have blown up train tracks and eliminated top army generals.
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Telephone service is patchy in most of Nigeria’s rural areas, making it difficult for villagers to seek immediate help from security forces, who are stretched fighting armed groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) in the northeast.
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Gunmen kill Christian leader in Plateau
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that tragedy struck Gako village in Riyom LGA of Plateau state as gunmen stormed the community.
Assailants killed a Christian leader, Reverend Ayuba Choji, and three members of his immediate family in yet another wave of violence in the area. The other members of the slain family are Rev. Choji’s wife, Chundung Ayuba, and their two children, Cyril and Endurance Ayuba.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng