Gunmen ambush, kill traditional ruler in Plateau

 Saf Samuel Alaket, a traditional ruler in Plateau state, the district head of Gwande in Bokkos LGA, has been killed after gunmen ambushed his vehicle along a rural road on Tuesday evening.

Sources within the community said the attack happened at about 7:30 p.m. near the boundary between Sha District and the Daffo community as the monarch was travelling back to Gwande.

The late district head had reportedly attended a traditional council meeting in Bokkos earlier in the day before proceeding to the popular Tuesday market in Daffo. He was said to be returning home when armed assailants struck.

Residents familiar with the incident disclosed that the attackers laid in wait along the route and targeted the vehicle conveying the traditional ruler. During the assault, Alaket sustained serious injuries.

Following the attack, he was rushed to a nearby medical facility for urgent treatment. However, despite efforts by healthcare workers to save his life, he later succumbed to his injuries.

A resident of the area, Mr. Aten Pukat, confirmed the incident and expressed deep sorrow over the monarch’s death. He described Alaket as a respected community leader whose contributions to peacebuilding and local development earned him widespread admiration across the Bokkos area.

According to him, the killing has left residents in shock and plunged the traditional institution into mourning.

Pukat added that messages of condolence have continued to pour in from community leaders, traditional rulers, associates and concerned residents who viewed the deceased as a unifying figure within the region.

As of the time of filing this report, security authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the incident. Attempts to obtain a reaction from the spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, SP Alfred Alabo, were unsuccessful.