Man shot dead in fresh Plateau attack

A resident of Bokkos local government area of Plateau state has been killed in the latest wave of violence in the state.

Abuh Gabriel, spokesman of the Plateau police command, confirmed the incident on Monday.

Gabriel said the attack was carried out on Ruboi and Marish communities on Monday morning.

He, however, said security forces had been deployed in the communities while “calm had been restored”.

He said efforts were being made to unmask the perpetrators of the attack which has been re-occurring in recent times.

Titus Alams, a former speaker of the state house of assembly, was quoted as saying the attackers looted property after killing and burning the corpse of the man.

According to him, the attackers, who came on motorcycles, destroyed many residential buildings and set shops and places of worship ablaze.

He described the attacks as “shocking and unbelievable”, calling on security agents to come to the aid of people.

“The man who was killed and his corpse burnt was sick. That was why he could not run when others were running away during the attack,” he said.

“With yesterday’s attack, the number of people so far killed in a similar attack is now 16 in communities across Bokkos local government area.

“My own house was partly burnt while the family house of my former Chief of Staff, Mr. Reuben Musa-Mallah, was completely burnt down along with others.”

Alams expressed fear that if prompt action was not taken, other villages in the LGA might be attacked.

“These border communities need serious surveillance by security operatives, otherwise the attackers might also attack these areas like they have done to Rubio,” he said.

Yusuf Machen, chairman of Bokkos LGA who corroborated the account given by Alams, described the attacks as “wicked and ungodly.”

He pleaded with the federal and state governments to come to the aid of the affected communities, saying many residents were now homeless and going without food.

“Most of the affected people are currently at the internally displaced persons’ camp in the Bokkos council secretariat,” Machen said.

At least 15 persons were killed in an attack by gunmen in Kwatas village in the same local government on Monday.

Simon Lalong, the governor, subsequently ordered the arrest of some persons over the incident.