Fear Grips Plateau Residents as Gunmen Kill 50.
Palpable fear has gripped communities in Plateau State after gunmen, suspected to be bandits, attacked Zurak and Bankalala villages in Bashar District of Wase Local Government Area, killing more than 50 residents, including vigilantes, and injuring others.
A LEADERSHIP investigation revealed that several houses were razed by the rampaging gunmen. Residents reported that the incident occurred at about 7 pm on Monday while people in the community were going about their normal activities. The attack could not be reported immediately due to poor communication networks in the area.
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Initially, the death toll was reported to be 40, but it has since risen to 50. Alhaji Ahmed Lawal, a traditional ruler in Wase, confirmed that the victims had been buried according to Muslim rites.
Sahpi’i Sambo, a youth leader in the area, recounted the attack, stating that the bandits arrived on motorcycles, with two attackers per bike, armed with sophisticated weapons, and started shooting indiscriminately.
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“More than 40 people were killed while many others were injured. Residents of the village have fled to neighbouring communities. As of yesterday, security personnel had not yet arrived at the community. It was a deadly attack,” Sambo said.
Daniel Manwan, the information officer of Wase Local Government Area, confirmed the incident, stating that over 30 people were killed in Bankalala village, while operatives of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) pursued and killed three of the bandits at Zurak village. “As I speak to you, the entire villages are deserted for fear of the unknown,” Manwan added.
Meanwhile, DSP Alabo Alfred, the spokesperson for the state police command, had yet to respond to inquiries at the time of this report. The state government also had not commented on the incident.
Deadly attacks on Plateau communities have been frequent over the last decade. In January, nearly 300 residents were killed in more than 20 communities, highlighting the well-coordinated nature of such attacks.
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