Gunmen kill eight in fresh Plateau attack

Gunmen on Thursday night invaded Mbwelle village in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State and killed at least eight persons.

Most of the victims were members of the same family, BusinessDay gathered.

Those killed included Iliya Mangut Dakus, Luck Titus Dakus, Habila Istifanu Dakus, Hassan Istifanus Dakus, Hassan Moses Dakus, Biggie Lucky Dakus, Sunday Gideon Dakus and Innocent Barnabas Makwin.

Kefas Mallai, the Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos LGA, confirmed the killings in Jos on Friday.
He said the attack occurred around 11pm when the assailants invaded the community and opened fire indiscriminately on residents, leaving about three other persons injured while some community members were still missing.

Mallai said there was no immediate security response despite the attack lasting for several hours. He added that residents were angered by the situation and were considering protests over what they described as lack of protection.

Christopher Luka,Youth Leader of Bokkos, also confirmed the incident, describing it as a devastating assault on the people of the area. He said the gunmen targeted one family, with eight confirmed dead, several injured, and others unaccounted for.

Related News

Efforts to get the reaction of security agencies were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

Bokkos and neighbouring local government areas in Plateau State have faced recurring security challenges in recent years.
The situation escalated recently with reports of ambushes and killings in Barkin Ladi, Riyom, and Jos South LGAs.

In one incident, gunmen ambushed travellers returning from mining activities along the Bokkos Road, killing one person and injuring two others.

In another attack the same day, a father of three was killed along the Gwolhoss–Byei road in Riyom LGA while returning home.

Community groups have raised concerns over the continued attacks and called on security agencies to intensify surveillance and patrols in identified flashpoints.

Efforts to get the reaction of Alfred Alabo, the Plateau State Police Command spokesman were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

Nathaniel Gbaoron

Nathaniel E. Gbaoron is the Plateau State correspondent for BusinessDay and a seasoned journalist with a decade of experience covering sub-national affairs across Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Benue, Plateau, and other states. He holds both National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mass Communication from Fidel Polytechnic, Gboko. Over the years, he has participated in numerous media trainings and workshops spanning various areas of reporting, strengthening his expertise in economic and political reporting, community-level governance, development stories, and conflict-sensitive journalism. He is a member of Correspondent Chapel in Plateau state, a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), he is also a Rotarian and a member of Plateau Club 1921.