By peterside Rejoice Eneky
No fewer than eight persons have been confirmed dead and several others injured following a coordinated night attack by gunmen on Chicim community in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The incident, which occurred at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday, also saw dozens of houses set ablaze in Gyenbwas community within Langai District of the same LGA, forcing residents to flee into surrounding bushes for safety.
An eyewitness and resident of Chicim, Nankus Habila, narrated that the attackers stormed the village under the cover of darkness and opened fire indiscriminately, catching many of the sleeping villagers unaware.
“We were already indoors when we heard gunshots. People started running. By morning, we discovered that several people had been killed and houses burnt,” Habila said.
Although security operatives were said to have arrived the area after the attack, residents expressed concerns about the lack of sustained security presence, which they say has emboldened attackers to target rural communities repeatedly.
As of press time, efforts to get official responses from security agencies were unsuccessful. Calls to the spokesman of Operation Safe Haven (OpSH), Major Samson Zhakom, were not answered, while the phone line of the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Alfred Alabo, was unreachable.
The attack has heightened fears in the Mangu area, which has witnessed repeated incidents of violence in recent months. Community leaders are calling on the state and federal governments to take decisive steps to halt the killings and restore peace.
Residents have also appealed for immediate humanitarian assistance for displaced families and those who lost their homes in the attack.
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