10 killed in attack on Plateau South community, residents say

The villagers launched a counter-attack and killed seven.

Ten people were reportedly killed in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau on Thursday night in a violent clash.

Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that gunmen attacked Nbiyak Village, Kadarko District, killing three people. The villagers, however, trailed the attackers and killed seven of them.

The police in the state have denied knowledge of the incident while the Special Task Force, STF’s spokesperson, Salisu Mustapha, is yet to comment on the attack and did not answer calls to his mobile phone.

Meanwhile, Nanlir Kartim, the National Secretary of Ngwan Ishi O’Tarok, NOI, a Tarok community association, in a telephone interview on Saturday, told PREMIUM TIMES that the attackers invaded the village in a large number, killed three people, injured over 20 others, and burnt several houses.

“A woman and two men were killed,” he said.

He lamented that security operatives within Wase that attempted rescuing victims of the attack were prevented from doing so by some armed men who barricaded most of the routes leading to the area.

Mr. Kartim appealed for more security officials in the area, and called for calm among residents. He insisted that Taroks were peaceful and accommodating, but were being attacked by their neighbours. He pointed accusing fingers at members of two other ethnic groups: the Jukuns and Fulani herdsmen.

“Those who attacked the village ran through Mavou, which is a Junkun and Fulani dominated area,” he said.

A resident of the affected community, Samuel Wuyep, said there had been rumours of a possible attack. He, however, placed the number of dead persons from the attack at two.

“There had been rumors that some people suspected to be Fulani were planning to attack our village. We reported the rumour to security agencies in the area but they ignored the threat. The attack was actually carried out as rumored and they killed two people, I also know some people are missing and have not been found,” he said.

Meanwhile, some victims from Nbiyak have taken refuge in some part of Langtang South Local Government Area, while others are said to have relocated to Kanam Local Government Area.