At least eight persons have been killed following a late-night attack by gunmen on Mbwelle village in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, in what residents describe as yet another deadly assault in the troubled region.
The attack, which occurred around 11 p.m. on Thursday, reportedly targeted members of a single family, leaving multiple casualties and several others injured.
Victims identified in the attack include Elder Iliya Mangut Dakus, Luck Titus Dakus, Habila Istifanu Dakus, Hassan Istifanus Dakus, Mrs Hassan Moses Dakus, Biggie Lucky Dakus, Sunday Gideon Dakus, and Innocent Barnabas Makwin.
Local sources told Journalists that the assailants stormed the community and opened fire indiscriminately, operating for hours without resistance.
Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos LGA, Kefas Mallai, confirmed the killings, expressing frustration over what he described as a complete absence of security response during the prolonged attack.
“There was an attack last night at Mbwelle village, very close to Bokkos town. So far, eight persons have been confirmed dead. The attack lasted for hours, yet there was no presence of security personnel to repel the attackers,” Mallai said.
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He added that residents are already mobilising for protests over what they perceive as negligence by security agencies.
“The people are angry. They are saying security operatives failed them. The attackers came, operated for hours, and left without any confrontation. There is no trace of them,” he stated.
Mallai further alleged that while the attacked community was left vulnerable, security personnel were instead deployed to another area believed by locals to be linked to the attackers.
Also confirming the incident, Bokkos Youth Leader, Christopher Luka, described the attack as “devastating,” noting that the gunmen appeared to have deliberately targeted a particular family.
“They came around 11 p.m. and started shooting sporadically. Eight people are dead, others are seriously injured, and some are still missing,” Luka said.
Efforts to reach the spokesman of the Plateau State Police Command were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. Similarly, the media officer of the Joint Military Taskforce did not provide immediate comments.
