Gunmen killed at least 49 people during coordinated attacks in Zike and Kimakpa villages in Kwall District, Bassa LGA of Plateau State.

The violence broke out on Sunday night around 8 p.m. Residents said the gunshots came from different directions. By Monday morning, they had recovered dozens of bodies.

Most of the affected communities fall under the Irigwe Chiefdom, an ethnic group that has faced repeated attacks in recent years.

Samuel Jugo, spokesperson for the Irigwe Development Association, confirmed the attacks.

“According to witnesses, sporadic gunshots were heard from multiple locations and by Monday morning, 49 corpses had been recovered,” he said.

“This is aside from the number of persons injured which has not been ascertained yet.”

Many of the injured were taken to Bingham University Teaching Hospital and Jos University Teaching Hospital. Others were rushed to smaller clinics in nearby towns.

Jugo added that several homes and food barns were burnt down during the attack. Farmlands were also destroyed, leaving survivors in despair.

Security Responds, Conflicting Death Toll Reported

Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), the military task force in Plateau, responded shortly after the incident. However, official spokesmen Major Samson Zhakom and DSP Alabo Alfred had not issued statements at the time of this report.

A military source from OPSH confirmed the violence to Daily Trust. The source offered a different death toll.

“The community was attacked yesterday (Sunday) night. Initially, three people were killed and five injured and were rushed to the hospital,” he said.

“But while taking the injured ones to the hospital, one other died.”

The military added that troops had secured the area and were conducting patrols to prevent further attacks.

Locals, however, believe the death toll may still rise, as more bodies could be recovered in the bushes.

The attacks came barely two weeks after over 30 people were killed in nearby Bokkos LGA. That earlier violence was also blamed on armed herders targeting farming communities.

Plateau Government Reacts

The Plateau State Government condemned the attacks, describing them as “unprovoked and senseless.”

Commissioner for Information and Communication, Hon Joyce Ramnap, spoke to reporters on the phone.

“The attack is one too many,” she said. “These series of attacks pose an existential threat to the lives and livelihoods of the peace-loving people of the state.”

“It is sad that in less than two weeks after our people were killed in Bokkos, this sad incident is reoccurring in another community in Bassa,” she added.

Ramnap said the state government was working closely with the military and other security agencies.

“We urge our people to remain peaceful and law-abiding,” she said. “The government is committed to protecting lives and restoring peace.”

The Irigwe people and other farming communities in Plateau have repeatedly called on the federal government to set up permanent security outposts in vulnerable areas.

Peter Obi Visits Plateau

The Sunday attacks come as Peter Obi, the Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate, was departing Jos after he paid a visit to commiserate with the state over similar killings that took place in the Bokkos area.

Scores, and by some estimates, hundreds have been killed in recent attacks.

Obi described the Bokkos killings as “senseless” and “utterly unacceptable“. He dropped a gift of N7.5 million as aid to the victims who had escaped their ancestral land and relocated to Jos.

For years, Plateau State has been a flashpoint in the conflict between farmers and armed herders. Thousands have died since the crisis escalated in the early 2000s.

Like 👍, Comment, share this article, and Follow us on our social media handles.