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Jol and Kwi villages in Riyom local government areas of Plateau State were yesterday attacked, leaving over six dead and properties destroyed.
The attack is coming barely 24 hours after a federal government delegation visited the state to assess its security challenges.
In a meeting held with the Plateau State government and security chiefs at the weekend, the minister of interior, Comrade Abba Moro promised that the federal government would put a stop to the reckless killing in the state.
He said the federal government was deeply concerned about the incessant killings in the state, stressing that it would deploy machinery and all logistics necessary for the restoration of peace in the state.
The state deputy governor, Ignatius Longjan, expressed satisfaction over the minister’s visit, saying that it was timely and important in view of the recent happenings in the state, where a family of six was wiped out in a night attack.
He said the state government relies strongly on federal government’s intervention in the security challenges of the state and expressed readiness to partner with the federal government to salvage the situation.
Meanwhile, an eyewitness, who spoke with LEADERSHIP, said that the attackers swooped on the communities in the early hours of Sunday and killed six persons, while setting some houses ablaze.
Efforts to get authorities of the police and military Special Task Force (STF) to comment on the incident failed, as the police public relations officer, Mr. Jacob Apev and the task force spokesman, Capt. Charles Ekeocha, would neither pick their calls nor reply text messages sent to them.
Confirming the incident, a member representing Riyom constituency in the state, Hon. Daniel Dem, told LEADERSHIP that four people were killed in one village and two in another.
The state commissioner for information and communication, Pastor Yiljap Abraham, told our correspondent by phone that he was aware of an attack on two villages in Riyom lo cal government area, but said only one person was reportedly killed.
He said the attackers were being repelled and chased by a combined team of STF and the police, while appealing to communities to maintain a high level of vigilance.
In a related development, suspected armed men yesterday attacked a village in Kaduna State, leaving two persons dead and three others injured.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday at Fadiya, Bajju Chiefdom, Zangon Kataf local government area of the state.
The attack was confirmed to LEADERSHIP by the special adviser to Kaduna State governor on security and coordinator of the state’s security outfit ‘Operation Yaki’, Col. Dangana Mamman, and chairman of Zangon Kataf local government, Mr. Dominic Gambo Yahaya, at the scene of the incident, along with Lt. Musa Ibrahim Mohammed, the military officer in charge of the soldiers on patrol.
The village was thrown into confusion, even as a suspected gunman who identified himself as Hussaini Musa was apprehended and handed over to the police. This was sequel to the intervention of armed soldiers and police who rescued him from being lynched by irate youths of the village, who laid siege at the house of the district head.
Narrating how the suspected attackers stormed the village, the district head, Andrew Kazah Allahmagani said, “We were sleeping and it was a little after 12 midnight when suddenly, my dogs started barking and I heard them struggling with my security man.
“I saw them through the window shooting indiscriminately; they gunned down the watchman, then went to the other house and killed a little boy. They wore black attire and were clutching sophisticated guns and swords, which some of them used. You can see the bullets in the main door and windows, since they could not find their way into the house.
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