The death toll in Monday’s attack on the Zike community, Kimakpa, Kwall district of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, has hit 51...
The death toll in Monday’s attack on the Zike community, Kimakpa, Kwall district of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, has hit 51, with several houses razed.
Sources from the area said the attacks on the villages, which are under Iregwe Chieftaincy, also left many injured people hospitalised in Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos University Teaching Hospital, among others.
The latest attacks came days after isolated killings were recorded in communities of Bassa LGA, where dozens were killed.
Samuel Jugo, spokesperson for IRIGWE Development Association (IDA), who confirmed Sunday’s night incident, narrated that the attacks started around 8 pm.
“According to witnesses, sporadic gunshots were heard from multiple locations and by Monday morning, 49 corpses had been recovered. This is aside from the number of persons injured which has not been ascertained yet,” he said.
Spokespersons of Operation Safe Haven, Major Samson Zhakom, and the state police command, DSP Alabo Alfred, were yet to respond to messages from our correspondent on Sunday’s attacks.
However, a reliable source from OPSH confirmed the incident to Daily Trust on Monday morning, explaining that four persons were confirmed killed while four others had been rushed to the hospital.
The military source said, “The community was attacked yesterday (Sunday) night. Initially, three people were killed and five injured and were rushed to the hospital. But while taking the injured ones to the hospital, one other died.”
The source further stated that security forces had taken control of the community.
Meanwhile the Plateau State Government has condemned in strong terms another attack by gunmen in Bassa community, describing it as unprovoked.
The commissioner of information and communication, Hon Joyce Ramnap, who spoke to our correspondent on the phone said, “the attack is one too many and these series of attacks pose an existential threat to the lives and livelihoods of the peace-loving people of the state.”
“It is sad that in less than two weeks after our people were killed in Bokkos local government, this sad incident is reoccurring in another community in Bassa local government,” she added.
She described the attacks as another attempt to puncture the peace that has gradually returned to the state, calling on people to remain peaceful as government worked with security agencies to arrest the situation.
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