Gunmen Kill 17 Persons In Fresh Plateau State Attack

At least no fewer than 17 persons have been reportedly killed in a fresh attack on Ancha village in Miango District, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, North-Central Nigeria by gunmen suspected to be armed herdsmen.

The attack which took place from Tuesday night into the early hours of Wednesday also left many others injured with several houses set ablaze.

Spokesperson of the Irigwe Development Association, Davidson Malison while confirming the incident to ait.live in Jos, the Plateau State capital said the attackers invaded the community while the villagers were mourning the death of one of them who was earlier killed.

Also a youth leader, in the community, Nuhu Bitrus, who confirmed the killings to The PUNCH in Jos on Wednesday said that the gunmen who carried out the killings also burnt several houses belonging to the natives while several persons sustained injuries.

According to the youth leader, the attacks on the community took place in the early hours of Wednesday and lasted for several houses.

He said,” We have a disaster currently in one of our communities at Ncha. Some gunmen whom we know to be Fulani last night invaded the community and started shooting everywhere and killing anyone they see while setting people’s houses on fire.

“Right now, we have counted 17 dead bodies and six persons that were injured during the invasion which started around 2:30 am. The Ancha community is the same place that one person was killed just a few days ago by the same people.

“We don’t know what to do before Government and the security agents will see the need to protect our people from extermination which obviously is the intent of the attackers.”

Meanwhile, the Special Task Force “Operation Safe Haven” said it received a distress call of an attack on Ancha community in Bassa LGA in the late hours of Tuesday and troops responded swiftly as they were mobilised to the village, but on arrival, the attackers had fled the scene.

A statement signed by the spokesperson of the Special Task Force, Major Ishaku Takwa, says houses were destroyed and some villagers killed during the attack.

The Military Taskforce in charge of maintaining peace in the state, Operation Safe Haven, also confirmed the attack on the community on Wednesday.

As at the time of filing in this report, tension was mounting in the community as the bodies are being recovered.