No fewer than 30 persons were killed in Plateau State in the early hours of yesterday by gunmen who attacked Kwahaslalek village, Mangu Local Government Area of the state.
This came less than a few hours after the state Governor Caleb Mutfwang, declared a curfew in the area following unrest earlier on Tuesday.
It was gathered that the victims, who were mostly women and children, had run to the house of a community leader in the area late Tuesday for safety following earlier unrest during the day in Mangu town when the gunmen surrounded them and killed all of them.
A community leader in the area, Mark Haruna, confirmed the death toll during an interview with one of the national daily newspapers.
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.”
Also, the Chairman of the Mwaghavul Development Association, Joseph Gwankat, 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 that 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 the 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?”
Two other communities of Kinat and Mairana on the borders of Mangu and Barkin Ladi local government areas were also attacked the same night.
Sources indicated that aside from the attacks at Sabon-Gari and Mangu, attackers unleashed terror on the other communities.
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The police confirmed the Tuesday night attack on Kwahaslalek village as well as the burning of the market and worship centres in Mangu town.
The state command’s spokesperson, DSP Alfred Alabo, said the police were yet to ascertain the casualty figures and level of destruction as investigations were ongoing.
He, however, assured the people of the state of their safety, adding that normalcy was gradually returning to Mangu with the deployment of security personnel and a surveillance helicopter.
*Shocked Gov Mutfwang calls incident ‘genocide’
Meanwhile, the Plateau State Governor, Mutfwang, in a state-wide broadcast described the incident as genocide.
Mutfwang said, “It is quite grievous that Plateau has been in the news for the wrong reasons lately. These attacks in recent times are premeditated. These are acts of terrorism and must be seen as that and handled in that manner. This is a clear case of genocide.”
*Attackers struck few hours after government declared curfew in Mangu LGA
Earlier on Tuesday, Mutfwang declared a 24-hour curfew on the Mangu LGA on Tuesday (yesterday).
He said the decision followed the deteriorating security situation in the area after unrest left several houses, including churches and mosques, burnt down.
The state is yet to recover from the Christmas Eve attacks on communities in three local government areas of the state.
Gunmen had stormed Ndun, Ngyong, Murfet, Makundary, Tamiso, Chiang, Tahore, Gawarba, Dares, Meyenga, Darwat, and Butura Kampani villages in the Barkin Ladi, Mangu and Bokkos areas of the state, burning houses and shooting residents.
Over 150 people were reportedly killed in the attack.
