Gunmen suspected to be Fulani militia have reportedly killed no fewer than eight residents of Mbwelle Village in Kwatas District of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, in what security authorities have described as a renewed wave of reprisal attacks.
The assault, which threw the community into mourning, was said to have occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9.
The victims of the attack were identified as Habila Istifanus (38), Hassan Istifanus (31), Iliya Mangut (70), Sunday Gideon (31), Innocent Banabas (20), Lucky Titus (38), Wisdom Lucky (15), and Bwehsun Hassan (25).
Residents said the attackers stormed the village under the cover of darkness, unleashing violence on unsuspecting inhabitants.
Naija News reports that the incident was first made public in a post on đť•Ź (formerly Twitter) by security analyst Zagazola Makama, who focuses on counter-insurgency in the Lake Chad region.
According to security sources, joint security forces responded to a distress call from the community but arrived after the assailants had fled.
A source explained that the delay was due to the considerable distance between the troops’ base and the affected village.
“The troops had to cover about 15 kilometres to reach the community, and the difficult terrain also slowed down the response,” the source said.
All casualties, including those injured in the attack, were evacuated to the Bokkos Cottage Hospital for medical attention.
Meanwhile, security operatives have launched a manhunt for the perpetrators, with efforts ongoing to track and apprehend those responsible for the killings.
Leave a Reply