No fewer than eight persons have been killed following a late-night attack by gunmen on Mbwelle village in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The assailants reportedly stormed the community around 11 p.m. on Thursday, opening fire on residents in an assault that lasted for nearly an hour. Most of the victims were said to be members of the same family.
Sources disclosed that, in addition to the fatalities, at least three persons sustained injuries, while several others remain missing as of the time of filing this report.
Those confirmed dead include Elder Iliya Mangut Dakus, Luck Titus Dakus, Habila Istifanu Dakus, Hassan Istifanus Dakus, Mrs Hassan Moses Dakus, Biggie Lucky Dakus, Sunday Gideon Dakus, and Innocent Barnabas Makwin.
Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos LGA, Kefas Mallai, who confirmed the incident, said the attack has heightened tension in the area.
According to him, the community, located close to Bokkos town, was left vulnerable as the attackers operated for an extended period without resistance.“The gunmen invaded around 11 p.m. and shot sporadically for a long time without any visible security presence,” he said.Mallai noted that residents are angered by what they described as a failure of security agencies to respond promptly, adding that some locals are already planning protests.He further alleged that security operatives were deployed to another community suspected to be linked to the attackers, rather than to the affected area.Also confirming the incident, the Youth Leader of Bokkos, Christopher Luka, described the attack as devastating, noting that it was largely targeted at a single family.“We have eight people confirmed dead, some seriously injured, and others still unaccounted for,” he said.As of the time of this report, efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, DSP Alfred Alabo, for official comment were unsuccessful.
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