Gunmen Murder Father And Son In Plateau State, Mother Injured

A man and his son lost their lives to brute gunmen at Tanchol settlement of Gyel District in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Another child, who sustained injuries, reportedly died in the hospital on Wednesday. A witness said the attackers injured the wife of the deceased and the other child that later died in the hospital.

He said the injured persons were hospitalized in a private hospital in Bukuru, headquarters of the council. The Plateau State Commissioner of Information, Yiljap Abraham, in a press briefing on Wednesday said the woman was in a critical condition at the hospital.

Confirming the incident to journalists on Wednesday at the force headquarters in Jos, the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Chris Olakpe, said the command has dispatched senior officers to fish out the perpetrators. “Two persons lost their lives in the attack, we have already setup a high power delegation to investigate the killing,” he said.

The police chief said the team is “led by a senior crime police expert.” He also explained that the police had begun investigating the recent upsurge in attacks in the state, although no arrests have been made. “A team of police officers has been assigned to investigate the incessant attacks,” he said.

The police commissioner attributed the renewed attacks to reported cases of alleged cattle rustling in some parts of the state. Mr. Olakpe appealed to Plateau residents to engage in neighbourhood watch of their vicinities and report suspicious movements.

“I implore everyone to be on the lookout for these attackers,” he said. “Security checks should be a collective responsibility of all; it should not be left in the hands of security officials alone.”

At least 16 people have been killed in the last two weeks in various Plateau councils without any arrest by security agencies. Mr. Olakpe said a meeting of stakeholders and religious heads including Aldo’s [leaders of Fulani’s] in the state will be held at the weekend, at the instance of the police to discuss the renewed attacks.