Fresh midnight attack leaves 21 dead in Plateau

No fewer than 21 people were reportedly killed and several others injured in a fresh midnight attack on Kawel Village in Mushere Kingdom, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Residents alleged that the attackers were suspected Fulani herdsmen. The attack, they said, occurred late Sunday night while members of the community were asleep.

A resident of Mushere Kingdom, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said the assailants struck swiftly and left without encountering any resistance or immediate response from security agencies, a development he said reflected the worsening security situation in the area.

Another resident, Malo Bitrus, told journalists that the gunmen stormed the village at about 11:40 p.m., shooting indiscriminately and forcing residents to flee for safety. He said more than 21 people were killed in the attack.

Confirming the incident, the Bokkos Youth Leader, Christopher Luka, said the attackers invaded the community and opened fire on residents. According to him, information about the attack reached local youth leaders shortly after midnight.

“A youth leader called around 12:10 a.m. and reported that gunmen had attacked the community and shot several people. So far, 21 deaths have been confirmed,” he said.

Luka said he immediately alerted security personnel stationed in Bokkos. “I contacted security personnel, and they confirmed they had received information about the incident and were moving to the affected community,” he added.

Describing the attack as unprovoked, Luka called on security agencies to intensify efforts to prevent further violence and strengthen protection for vulnerable communities.

The latest incident occurred less than five days after the killing of the District Head of Gwande in Bokkos Local Government Area, Saf Samuel Alaket, who was reportedly attacked along the Sha District axis bordering Daffo community while returning from a traditional council meeting.

Efforts to obtain confirmation from the spokesperson for the Plateau State Police Command, SP Alfred Alabo, were unsuccessful as of press time.

However, the spokesman for Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP), 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, told The Guardian that he had yet to receive an official report on the incident.

“I have not received any information about the incident. I will brief you if there is anything like that,” Oteh said.