At least eight people have been killed in a late-night attack on Mbwelle village in Boƙƙos local government area of Plateau State.
According to reports, the assailants struck around 11 p.m. on Thursday, opening fire on residents and killing members of an extended family, while injuring others and leaving several persons unaccounted for.
The victims were identified as Iliya Mangut Dakus, Luck Titus Dakus, Habila Istifanu Dakus, Hassan Istifanus Dakus, Hassan Moses Dakus, Biggie Lucky Dakus, Sunday Gideon Dakus and Innocent Barnabas Makwin.
Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Boƙƙos, Kefas Mallai, confirmed the incident, saying the attackers operated for hours without resistance. “There was an attack last night at Mbwelle village. So far, eight persons have been confirmed dead this morning”, Mallai said.
He added that the prolonged nature of the assault has heightened anger among residents. “The attack lasted for several hours with no visible security presence to repel the attackers”, he said, noting that some community members are already considering protests over what they see as a failure of protection.
A youth leader in the area, Christopher Luka, also confirmed the killings, describing the incident as devastating. “The gunmen came around 11 p.m. and started shooting sporadically. They targeted one family mostly. We have eight confirmed dead, some seriously injured, and others still unaccounted for”, he said.
Efforts to get official confirmation from the police were unsuccessful, as the spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, Alfred Alabo, did not respond to calls as of the time of filing this report.
The media officer of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Chinonso Oteh, said he would revert, but had not yet done so.
