24 killed, many injured in fresh Plateau attack
By Nkiruka Nnorom & Golok Nanmwa
JOS—No fewer than 24 persons have been killed and several others injured following gunmen attack on Binper community in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The attack, according to residents, occurred between Monday night and early hours of yesterday. An eyewitness, Daniel Musa, said the attackers, who were heavily armed, moved from house to house, forcing their way into homes and attacking residents who were asleep.
He said: “Our village came under attack last night and in the early hours of today, (yesterday), by heavily armed persons. “They were moving from house to house, opening the doors of people who were sleeping and slaughtering them. “As of this morning, we have confirmed over 24 deaths, while several others sustained serious injuries and some people are still missing.” Another resident, John Dalyop, who confirmed the attack, described the situation as terrible.
“We expected the new Commissioner of Police in the state to act quickly and go after those responsible,” he said. Dalyop condemned the attack as barbaric and urged the state and federal governments to urgently strengthen security around vulnerable communities in Mangu and other parts of Plateau State. He said victims who sustained injuries, had been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, while community leaders and residents were making efforts to account for those still missing. Security operatives were also reportedly deployed to the community, yesterday to restore calm and prevent further attacks, he added.
Efforts to get reactions from security operatives were unsuccessful, at press time. However, the Mwaghavul Youth Movement, which confirmed the attack, said 24 persons were killed, adding that several residents sustained injuries while homes were reportedly set ablaze and crops destroyed. A statement by its Director of Public Affairs, Tubwot Sunday, the movement expressed “deep grief, anger and profound dissatisfaction” over the incident. The group said the attack had not only resulted in the loss of lives but also devastated families and threatened the livelihoods of residents who largely depended on agriculture. It expressed concern that the attack occurred, despite the presence of security architecture meant to protect residents, saying repeated attacks on vulnerable communities had raised questions about the effectiveness and responsiveness of the security system.
Women protest fresh killings as 24 victims receive mass burial in Plateau This came as women from Bin-Per community in Ruff, Kombun District of Mangu council, yesterday, staged a peaceful protest over the killing of 24 persons in the community by gunmen. The women in large numbers, held leaves in their hands as they marched and lamented the gruesome killings, calling for urgent government action to protect their lives and communities. One of the protesters, Mrs. Ladi Joshua, lamented the killings, saying the women were devastated by the loss of their husbands, children, relatives and other members of the community. Meanwhile, 24 victims of the attack have been given a mass burial, while several other victims who sustained injuries are currently receiving treatment in hospitals.
President of the Mwaghavul Youth Movement, Kyesmang Jonathan, who spoke at the mass burial conducted for the victims, yesterday, said 24 persons had so far been buried following the attack. He said some of the injured victims were still receiving medical attention in hospitals, while the community continued to grapple with the devastating impact of the attack. He lamented the killings, describing the incident as a painful loss to the community and condemning the continued attacks on innocent residents. Meanwhile an African Democratic Congress, ADC, scribe in Plateau State, Jude Dakur, has condemned in the strongest terms the deadly attack on Bin-Per community in Kombun District of Mangu council. Dakur described the attack as barbaric, senseless and unacceptable, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives and the destruction of homes, farmlands and property belonging to residents of the community. He said the killing of innocent citizens, particularly people who were asleep in their homes, was a grave assault on the sanctity of human life and should not be allowed to become a recurring feature of life in Plateau State.
Mutfwang directs intensified security in Mangu Governor Mutfwang, yesterday, directed security agencies to intensify surveillance and patrols in the affected community and other vulnerable areas of the local government. The directive followed the attack on Bin Mper, which left several residents dead and others injured, while homes and farmlands were reportedly destroyed. The governor in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap condemned the attack and described it as a disturbing development capable of threatening the peace and security being consolidated across the state. The statement said: Meanwhile, a United States Congressman, Riley Moore,has urged the United States Department not to lift Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern, CPC, citing the killings of no fewer then least 23 people in a gun attack in Plateau State. In a post on X, yesterday, Moore said Christians were being slaughtered across the Middle Belt with impunity and warned Washington against repeating what he called the Biden era mistake.
“This is exactly why the @StateDept cannot lift Nigeria’s CPC designation. Nothing has changed in the Middle Belt,” Moore wrote. The Congressman was reacting to reports of an attack on Binper community in Mangu council.There may be progress in the North, but nothing has changed in the Middle Belt where most attacks against Christians occur. We must stop the genocide,” Moore said. Nigeria was first designated a CPC by the US State Department in December 2020 under the first Trump administration over concerns about religious freedom violations. The Biden administration removed Nigeria from the list in November 2021.
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