24 killed, several injured in fresh Plateau attack

No fewer than 24 persons have been killed and several others injured after gunmen attacked Bin-Per community in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The attack, according to residents, occurred between Monday night and the early hours of Tuesday.

An eyewitness, Daniel Musa, said the attackers, who were heavily armed, moved from house to house, forcing their way into homes and attacking residents who were asleep.

He said: “Our village came under attack last night and in the early hours of today, (yesterday), by heavily armed persons.

“They were moving from house to house, opening the doors of people who were sleeping and slaughtering them.

“As of this morning, we have confirmed over 24 deaths, while several others sustained serious injuries and some people are still missing.”

Another resident, John Dalyop, who confirmed the attack, described the situation as terrible.

“We expected the new Commissioner of Police in the state to act quickly and go after those responsible,” he said.

Dalyop condemned the attack as barbaric and urged the state and Federal Governments to urgently strengthen security around vulnerable communities in Mangu and other parts of Plateau State.

He said victims who sustained injuries had been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, while community leaders and residents were making efforts to account for those still missing.

Security operatives were also reportedly deployed to the community yesterday to restore calm and prevent further attacks, he added.

Efforts to get reactions from security operatives were unsuccessful at press time.

However, the Mwaghavul Youth Movement, which confirmed the attack, said 24 persons were killed, while several residents sustained injuries.

A statement by its Director of Public Affairs, Tubwot Sunday, said the movement expressed “deep grief, anger and profound dissatisfaction” over the incident.

The group said the attack had not only resulted in the loss of lives but had also devastated families and threatened the livelihoods of residents who largely depended on agriculture.

It expressed concern that the attack occurred despite the presence of security architecture meant to protect residents, saying repeated attacks on vulnerable communities had raised questions about the effectiveness and responsiveness of the security system.

Women protest fresh killings as 24 victims receive mass burial

Meanwhile, women from Bin-Per community in Ruff, Kombun District of Mangu LGA, yesterday staged a peaceful protest over the killing of 24 persons in the community.

The women, who marched in large numbers with leaves in their hands, lamented the gruesome killings and called for urgent government action to protect their lives and communities.

One of the protesters, Mrs Ladi Joshua, lamented the killings, saying the women were devastated by the loss of their husbands, children, relatives and other members of the community.

Meanwhile, 24 victims of the attack have been given a mass burial, while several others who sustained injuries are receiving treatment in hospitals.

The President of the Mwaghavul Youth Movement, Kyesmang Jonathan, who spoke at the mass burial conducted for the victims yesterday, said 24 persons had so far been buried following the attack.

He said some of the injured victims were still receiving medical attention in hospitals, while the community continued to grapple with the devastating impact of the attack.

Jonathan lamented the killings, describing the incident as a painful loss to the community and condemning the continued attacks on innocent residents.

Also, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) scribe in Plateau State, Jude Dakur, condemned the attack on the Bin-Per community.

Dakur described the attack as barbaric, senseless and unacceptable, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives and the destruction of homes, farmlands and property belonging to residents.

He said the killing of innocent citizens, particularly people who were asleep in their homes, was a grave assault on the sanctity of human life and should not be allowed to become a recurring feature of life in Plateau State.

Mutfwang directs intensified security in Mangu

Governor Caleb Mutfwang yesterday directed security agencies to intensify surveillance and patrols in the affected community and other vulnerable areas of the local government.

The directive followed the attack on Bin-Per, which left several residents dead and others injured, while homes and farmlands were reportedly destroyed.

The governor, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, condemned the attack and described it as a disturbing development capable of threatening the peace and security being consolidated across the state.

The statement said the governor directed security agencies to strengthen their presence in vulnerable communities and take necessary measures to prevent further attacks.

Meanwhile, United States Congressman Riley Moore has urged the US State Department not to lift Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), citing the killings in Plateau State.

In a post on X yesterday, Moore said Christians were being killed across the Middle Belt with impunity and warned Washington against repeating what he described as the “Biden era mistake.”

“This is exactly why the @StateDept cannot lift Nigeria’s CPC designation. Nothing has changed in the Middle Belt,” Moore wrote.

The congressman was reacting to reports of the attack on the Bin-Per community in Mangu LGA.

“There may be progress in the North, but nothing has changed in the Middle Belt where most attacks against Christians occur. We must stop the genocide,” Moore said.

Nigeria was first designated a CPC by the US State Department in December 2020 under the first Trump administration over concerns about religious freedom violations.

The Biden administration removed Nigeria from the list in November 2021.