Gunmen attacked Kwahaslalek village in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State in the early hours of Wednesday, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 30 lives.
The gathered information indicates that the victims, predominantly women and children, sought refuge in the residence of a community leader in the area on Tuesday night due to previous unrest in Mangu town earlier in the day. The gunmen encircled them, resulting in the tragic killing of all those present.
Mark Haruna, a community leader in the area, verified the death toll to newsmen in Jos, the state capital, on Wednesday.
Haruna said, “What happened at Sabon Gari and Mangu town yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) was just a distraction so that the attention of the people will be shifted away from the villages.
“For the second time, my village Kwahaslalek (behind NYSC camp) came under attack by gunmen yesterday (Tuesday)night. They came at about 12:30 am and killed over 25 people, mostly women and children.”
The Chairman of Mwaghavul Development Association, Joseph Gwankat, also confirmed the killing, describing it as callous.
“I couldn’t sleep last night as a result of what happened in Mangu town during the day yesterday. Now, I have just been told Kwahaslalek village was attacked last night and about 30 people were killed .
“From what I was told, the unrest in Mangu town yesterday created fears in many communities. Some people in the village went and evacuated their loved ones and assembled them in a place where they thought was safe.
“So in the night, the killers went to Kwahaslalek village where the people mostly women and children were assembled and killed all of them,” he said
The chairman who condemned the killing added, “I was told that no security was on ground to save the villagers. This act is pure wickedness. How can people who are in their villages be targets of constant attacks and killings without anything being done to stop the perpetrators?”
Upon being contacted, Alabo Alfred, the spokesperson for the state police command, mentioned that he has not received the report of the incident yet.
“I have not received any report on that. Let me call my Commander. We will investigate the incident if actually something like that happened,” the PPRO said.
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, imposed a 24-hour curfew on Mangu Local Government Area on Tuesday, citing the worsening security situation following unrest that resulted in the burning of numerous houses, including churches and mosques.
The state is still grappling with the aftermath of Christmas Eve attacks on communities in three local government areas.
Gunmen targeted villages in Barkin Ladi, Mangu, and Bokkos, including Ndun, Ngyong, Murfet, Makundary, Tamiso, Chiang, Tahore, Gawarba, Dares, Meyenga, Darwat, and Butura Kampani, burning houses and attacking residents. The violence reportedly claimed the lives of over 150 people.