Just two weeks after gunmen killed eight people in separate attacks on the Congo and Zarap communities within Plateau State’s Bokkos Local Government Area, tragedy struck again as gunmen claimed the lives of five more individuals in the council area.
It was learnt that the latest attack occurred in the Mbar community on Sunday night, September 15.
Residents said that the victims who were mainly youths were attacked on their way from Mbar town to Koh village along a bypass encircling Yelwa Nono village in the evening by fleeing terrorists on motorcycles after they were initially repelled by the military from the surrounding mountains.
The Chairman of Bokkos Cultural Development Council Vanguard, confirmed the fresh killings in a statement, on Monday, September 16.
The statement which was jointly signed by the association’s secretary, partly read, “We wish to condemn in the strongest terms the tragic killing of five innocent young men in the Mbar community on Saturday, September 15, despite prior intelligence reports of suspected terrorists’ influx into the area.
“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.
“This incident adds to a series of armed attacks in our villages, including the recent murder of 11 youths in Tarangol, Daffo, and Bargesh villages on September 3.
“He alleged that the unprovoked attacks were a calculated attempt at evicting our people from their ancestral homes and taking over the land.
“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.
“This is not to undermine or underrate the efforts of the military.
“However, we understand the logistical and manpower shortages faced by the military, requiring the active participation of local community members who by the way know the terrain and can better assist with intelligence to identify and expose criminal elements in communities.”
He also advised that the communities avoid late movement as advised by security officials, to reduce risks.
The socio-cultural organisation also sympathised with the families of the victims and called on their people to be vigilant.
“We will not stand idly by while our people, a small minority in Nigeria, are eliminated from the face of the earth”, the statement further stated.
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