In yet another violent attack in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, five people were killed by gunmen in the Mbar community on Sunday night. This attack comes just two weeks after gunmen killed eight people in two separate incidents in the nearby Congo and Zarap communities.
The tragic event occurred between 7:00 and 7:30 p.m. as the victims, who were mostly youths, were traveling from Mbar town to Koh village. According to residents, the gunmen, identified as terrorists fleeing on motorcycles, ambushed the youths along a bypass near Yelwa Nono village. It was reported that the attackers had been driven out of the surrounding mountains by the military before carrying out the attack.
Farmasun Fuddang, Chairman of the Bokkos Cultural Development Council Vanguard, confirmed the attack in a statement on Monday.
Fuddang expressed outrage over the killings, saying, “We condemn in the strongest terms the tragic killing of five innocent young men in the Mbar community on September 15, despite prior intelligence reports of suspected terrorists’ influx into the area.”
The council also criticized the delay in security response, noting that the terrorists had fled by the time the forces arrived.
“By the time the security forces were informed about the attack and arrived at the scene several minutes later, the terrorists had completed their mission and fled without apprehension,” the statement read.
The attack is the latest in a string of violent incidents in the area. Fuddang recalled a recent attack on September 3, where 11 youths were killed in Tarangol, Daffo, and Bargesh villages.
He described the continued violence as “a calculated attempt at evicting our people from their ancestral homes and taking over the land.”
The Bokkos Cultural Development Council called for more community involvement in addressing the security threats.
Fuddang said, “We request to be involved in the handling of the threats in our land, working in synergy with security forces as is the case with the civilian joint task force in the North-East and North-West regions.”
He emphasized that local residents are familiar with the terrain and could provide valuable intelligence to help identify and expose criminal elements.
While acknowledging the efforts of the military, Fuddang stressed the need for local participation due to logistical and manpower shortages. He also urged community members to avoid unnecessary travel at night to minimize risks, following advice from security authorities.
In a show of solidarity, the socio-cultural organization extended condolences to the families of the victims and urged residents to remain vigilant in light of the ongoing security challenges.
“We will not stand idly by while our people, a small minority in Nigeria, are eliminated from the face of the earth,” the statement said.
Attempts to reach Alabo Alfred, the spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, were unsuccessful as his phone was switched off at the time of inquiry.