Gunmen have killed five people in a new attack on rural communities in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.
This was confirmed in a statement on Tuesday by the Chairman of Bokkos Cultural Development Council, Farmasum Fuddang, and Secretary, Duwam Bosco. They reported that the attack occurred on Monday, October 14, lamenting a series of previous attacks that have claimed many lives.
“Despite credible warnings by a reputable media outlet on October 12, terrorists identified by witnesses as members of the Fulani tribe launched a brutal assault on the village of Rafut in the Kwatas district shortly after 7 p.m. on October 14. This unprovoked attack occurred even after a security meeting with police and military authorities in Bokkos on October 13,” the statement read.
The attackers ambushed four young men guarding their family’s home and then stormed the compound, killing an elderly man, bringing the total number of fatalities to five.
The attack comes in the wake of a particularly violent week in the community, during which over 10 people were killed. “Five were killed in Wumat on October 7, four in Kuba on October 10, one in Maikatako on October 11, and another on October 12,” the statement added.
In September, the community also suffered a string of assaults, with six killed in Daffo on September 3, two in Tarangol on the same day, five in Mbar on September 16, and two in Kop Mandarken on September 20.
The group praised security forces for repelling the attackers and rescuing Yelwa Sunday Mashat, who is recovering from injuries sustained in the attack. They also acknowledged the arrest of several suspects and the seizure of cattle herds used to block the road during the attack.
However, the council expressed frustration that the attack on Rafut occurred despite warnings and intelligence reports. “More troubling is that it happened just hours after Rafut residents alerted police to suspicious activity by Fulani groups. Similar intelligence was shared after the Wumat attack on October 7, yet identified suspects remain at large,” the statement concluded.