Reports coming in have it that no fewer than 30 people have been killed in the early hours of Wednesday 23 January 2024 by gunmen who invaded Kwahaslalek village, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau state.
According to reports, the victims, who were mostly women and children, had scampered to the house of a community leader in the area on Tuesday night for safety due to an earlier religious unrest in Mangu town when the gunmen surrounded them and killed all of them.
Speaking to journalists, a community leader in the area, Mark Haruna, confirmed that over 25 persons were killed in the incident.
“What happened at Sabon Gari and Mangu town yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) was just a distraction so that the attention of the people will be shifted away from the villages.
“For the second time, my village Kwahaslalek (behind NYSC camp) came under attack by gunmen yesterday (Tuesday)night. They came at about 12:30 am and killed over 25 people, mostly women and children.” Haruna added.
Also speaking, Chairman of Mwaghavul Development Association, Joseph Gwankat, who described the killing as callous also confirmed that he couldn’t sleep last night as a result of what happened in Mangu town on Tuesday 23 January 2024.
He stated that he has just been informed that Kwahaslalek village was attacked last night where about 30 people lost their lives.
“I was told that no security was on ground to save the villagers. This act is pure wickedness. How can people who are in their villages be targets of constant attacks and killings without anything being done to stop the perpetrators?” he added.
Meanwhile, when contacted, the spokesman for the Plateau state police command, Alabo Alfred, said he had yet to get the report of the incident.
“I have not received any report on that. Let me call my Commander. We will investigate the incident if actually something like that happened,” Alabo said
Recall that the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, had earlier declared a 24-hour curfew on the Mangu LGA on Tuesday 23 January 2024.
A decision he said, followed the breakdown of security in the area after an unrest left several houses, including churches and mosques, razed down.
Until the recent massacre, Plateau state is yet to breathe a sigh of relief from the Christmas Eve attacks on communities in three local government areas of the state which left over 150 people reportedly killed.
Armed gunmen had stormed Ndun, Ngyong, Murfet, Makundary, Tamiso, Chiang, Tahore, Gawarba, Dares, Meyenga, Darwat, and Butura Kampani villages in the Barkin Ladi, Mangu and Bokkos areas of the state, burning houses and shooting residents.
