As attacks on communities in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State continue to escalate, gunmen terrorizing the council killed five people and injured several others on Thursday.

The attackers have been laying ambushes along the Riyom-Abuja road, targeting farmers and motorcyclists returning from their farms.

According to reports, a large number of gunmen invaded Kogul village in the Panyam District of Mangu Council around 9:00 p.m. on Thursday. They began shooting indiscriminately into the air, possibly to force residents out of their homes.

Titus Dachomo, a community leader, confirmed the unfortunate incident and stated that most villagers were already in bed when the sporadic gunshots began. In a bid to escape, residents scattered in different directions for their safety.

During the chaos, five people were shot and killed instantly, while many others sustained gunshot wounds and are currently receiving treatment at Mangu General Hospital.

Dachomo also mentioned that the attackers destroyed farms, set several houses on fire, and despite repeated calls for help from security forces in the area, no response was received before the assailants disappeared.

He expressed the people’s loss of confidence in the men of Operation Safe Haven, who were deployed to protect innocent citizens in the local government area.

He noted that the number of villages and communities attacked, as well as the number of victims, has become difficult to track in recent times.

Furthermore, Barrister Solomon Dalyop Nwatiri, the National President of the Berom Youth Moulders (BYM), denounced the recent attacks by gunmen on motorcyclists along the Riyom to Abuja road.

He highlighted that the gunmen, suspected to be Fulani militias, often target motorcyclists returning from their farms, resulting in the deaths of at least four people in the past three days.

Nwatiri appealed to the security agencies to intervene and assist the vulnerable residents in the area. He warned that communities along the highway are under constant threat and could be attacked at any time.

Efforts to reach the Plateau State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Alfred Alabo, for confirmation of the incident have been unsuccessful. (Nigerian Tribune)