By Deborah Nnamdi
No fewer than eight persons have been killed and several others injured after suspected terrorists stormed Mbwelle village in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State late Thursday night.
The assailants reportedly invaded the community around 11 p.m., opening fire indiscriminately on residents in a shooting that lasted for nearly an hour. Most of the victims were said to be members of the same family, while some residents remain missing following the attack.
Those confirmed dead have been identified as Elder Iliya Mangut Dakus, Mr. Luck Titus Dakus, Mr. Habila Istifanu Dakus, Mr. Hassan Istifanus Dakus, Mrs. Hassan Moses Dakus, Biggie Lucky Dakus, Sunday Gideon Dakus, and Mr. Innocent Barnabas Makwin.
The Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos, Kefas Mallai, confirmed the incident, describing the situation as tense and troubling. He alleged that the attackers operated for several hours without any visible intervention from security personnel despite the proximity of the community to Bokkos town.
Mallai further stated that the incident has sparked anger among residents, who are now considering staging protests over what they described as a failure by security agencies to protect them. He also claimed that security forces were deployed to another community suspected by locals to be linked to the attackers.
Youth Leader of Bokkos, Christopher Luka, also confirmed the attack, calling it a devastating assault on the people of the area and Plateau State at large. He said the gunmen appeared to have targeted a particular family, leaving multiple casualties and others unaccounted for.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, DSP Alfred Alabo, for an official response were unsuccessful.
