19 feared dead in fresh attack in Plateau

A fresh attack on a Plateau community has left at least 19 people dead, a resident said on Thursday.

The attack occurred on Wednesday night in Ariri community of Bassa Local Government Area of the state.

Sunday Abdu, the National President of Irigwe Development Association (IDA) and a native of the attacked community, confirmed the incident to newsmen.

“The attack took place last night when people were asleep. Nineteen people were killed in the incident,” he said.

Mr Abdu said the police have been briefed on the attack.

“We have reported the incident to security agencies. The Plateau State police commissioner was at the scene of the attack this morning. So the security is aware of the incident,” he said.



When contacted, spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, Tyopev Terna, promised to get back with official details.

He was yet to do so at the time of this report.

Also, the spokesperson of a security force in the state, Operation Safe Haven, Adam Umar, said details of the security situation in Bassa was sketchy.

Mr Umar, an army major, said investigation was ongoing to confirm the true situation there.

The attack in Bassa occurs a day after another attack was launched on Jol village of Riyom Local Government Area of the state. About14 people were said to have been killed in the incident

As at Wednesday, there was no official confirmation yet of the casualty.

However, on Thursday, Mr Umar confirmed the killing of 13 persons in Jol on Tuesday night.

“Jol attack in Riyom followed the killing of three cows on the 19th September in which a meeting between Berom and Fulani in the area was summoned. Despite the peace meeting, a herder and five cows were later ambushed and killed in the area on the 29th of September while other cows were injured.

“After that attack, another Fulani boy was shot in the hand and one cow killed on the 2nd of October and that same day an attack was launched on the Berom community of Jol and houses raised down while 13 people were killed.

“Another problem we are facing is that some of the civilians now possess fire arms and we are calling on them to surrender the weapons so that the tendency of unleashing havoc on communities can be reduced drastically,” Mr Umar said.

Hundreds of people have been killed in Plateau this year in clashes between nomadic herdsmen and farming communities.

Both President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau have condemned the renewed violence in the state and appealed for peace among residents.