At least six people were killed and seven seriously wounded following simultaneous attacks by gunmen on five communities in Barkin-Ladi and Riyom Local Government Areas of Plateau State.
The communities affected by the bloody attacks included Kwi, Bachit, Foron, Heipang, and Wereng.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE gathered that the communities came under what looked like organised attacks that started at about 8:30 pm on Sunday and continued to Wednesday, which lasted close to three hours as gunmen passing through the communities in large numbers, wreaked havoc on villagers.
The assailants stormed the communities on motorcycles at the same time and shot sporadically. They were said to have gone on killing sprees, destroying peoples’ property before fleeing almost at the same time.
A community leader, who does not want his name in print, told the 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE that the gunmen laid siege in the area, divided themselves into various communities to carry out the dastardly act and took the residents by surprise.
The leader revealed that four people were killed in Heipang, one in Kwi, and two in Foron, all in Barakin-Ladi local government; while another three were killed in Wereng and two in Bachit, adding that seven persons also sustained injuries.
The National President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Dalyop Solomon, said prior to the attacks, there were reports of a plan to attack six local government areas in the state.
Solomon revealed that recent cases of isolated killings and invasions of communities were part of the ploy to frustrate farming this season.
According to him, the latest unprovoked attacks on the five communities had heightened tension in all the affected areas.
He called on the security agencies to wade in and fish out the perpetrators.
Spokesman for Operation Safe Haven, (OPSH), Capt. James Oya, said the military was on top of the situation.
He said the gunmen sporadically opened fire while passing through the five communities and bullets reportedly hit and killed one person, whose body was found in a nearby bush in Kwi village.
Senator Istifanus Gyang condemned the resurgence of terror attacks on the communities by bandits. Gyang, in a statement by his aide, Daniel Dem, commiserated with the grieving families, communities over the lives claimed by the brutal bandits’ killings.
“The Senator appeals to peace-loving citizens to remain committed to the peace process in the state and urges security agencies to do the needful to stop this renewed wave of terror and ensure that all threats to peace are decisively dealt with,” he said.
