Gunmen suspected to be terrorists have killed five persons in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.
It was gathered that the attack occurred in the Mbar community on Sunday night, September 15, 2024.
According to The Punch, the victims who were mainly youths were attacked on their way from Mbar town to Koh village along a bypass encircling Yelwa Nono village between 7. pm and 7.30 pm 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, Farmasun Fuddang, confirmed the incident on Monday in a statement jointly signed by the association’s Secretary, Duwam Bosco.
“We wish to condemn in the strongest terms the tragic killing of five innocent young men in the Mbar community on September 15 (Saturday), despite prior intelligence reports of suspected terrorists’ influx into the area,” the statement read.
“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 the communities to eschew late movements as advised by security authorities to minimize 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 added.
