Plateau Killings: Death Toll Hits 12, Policeman Among Victims

The death toll from Saturday’s attacks on communities in Barkin Ladi local government area of Plateau State has risen to 10.

Among the victims was a police officer while six other persons sustained varying degrees of injuries.

Also yesterday, gunmen invaded Furyam Takzul community in Kantana Ward of Kanam local government area of the state, killing two persons.

The youth leader of Furyam Takzul, Haruna Khalid told newsmen in Jos that the attacks left the community devastated and traumatised.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the attack in Barkin Ladi was carried out by heavily armed gunmen, which threw the residents into panic as the assailants operated simultaneously in different parts of Barkin Ladi town.

The residents named the affected communities as Sabon Layi, Rakung,  and the General Hospital Area, popularly known as Zat and Bet.

They said the attackers stormed the communities on Saturday evening, shooting sporadically and forcing many people to flee their homes for safety.

Livinus Pam, a resident of Barkin Ladi who spoke to newsmen, disclosed that as of  yesterday morning, 10 bodies were recovered from different locations and some deposited at the mortuary, while the six injured were receiving treatment at an undisclosed medical facilities.

The latest development followed an earlier attack on Sabon Layi community where a woman was killed and another resident injured and rushed to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for medical attention.

Reacting to the attacks, the Berom Youth Mooulders Association (BYMA) expressed concern over what it described as the worsening security situation in Barkin Ladi despite the heavy presence of security personnel and checkpoints in the area.

BYMA in a statement signed by its national publicity secretary, Rwang Tengwong, reiterated its earlier vote of no confidence on the Sector 4 commander of “Operation Enduring Peace” OPEP, accusing them of failing to protect life and property within his jurisdiction.

The group called on the government to establish a Ministry of Homeland Security and Humanitarian Services to coordinate proactive security measures, emergency response, and support for victims of attacks.

It further lamented the alleged absence of intervention from the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency, noting that affected residents were often left to evacuate corpses and care for injured victims.

According to the association, the situation where grieving residents wrap corpses in local wrappers and carry them with bare hands for burial reflects a serious failure in emergency humanitarian response.

The association urged both the federal and state governments, as well as security agencies, to take urgent and decisive steps to end the persistent attacks and restore confidence among residents of affected communities.

When contacted for his reactions on the vote of no confidence passed on sector 4 commander by BYMA, the media officer of Joint Task Force Operations Enduring Peace (OPEP)Captain Polycarp Oteh  he will issue a press statement on the mattwe .